


Thranduil Rambles/Imagines

by blankdblank



Series: Thranduil Rambles/Imagines [1]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Eventual Smut, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-01
Updated: 2018-11-02
Packaged: 2019-04-30 17:41:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 24,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14502156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blankdblank/pseuds/blankdblank





	1. Chopsticks

In Rivendell Thranduil sees you cooking and eating Chinese food  
Thranduil mumbles to Elrond in Elvish as they pass the empty dining room you’re seated in, “What sort of idiot eats with sticks, as if we don’t have cutlery here!”  
You respond in Elvish without lookin at him, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish on it’s ability to climb trees it will spend its entire life believing it’s stupid.” You look at him with a blank stare. “Different cultures have different traditions, I’d thought you’d be old enough to realize that.”  
He opens and closes his mouth as you turn back to your food and smile at Estel who ran over with a plate, bowl, cup and spoon, laying them out on the table beside you. The King watched for a few minutes as you gave him a large smile and filled his plate and bowl after handing him his chopsticks. Elrond smiled as he watched the boy beside you sticking out his tongue as he tried to pick up a clump of chicken and the small giggle he made when he got it right and popped it in his mouth before they walked off.  
…

For the next few days Thranduil watched as you taught various Elves how to eat with them, seeing a few struggle, eventually spotting Legolas learning at Kili’s side as the Dwarf gave up on lifting the chicken and just stabbing through it and eating it that way.  
On the fourth day he quietly joined you quietly with a proud stance as he lowered himself to the short table you were kneeling at. He eyed the strange food in front of him as you offered him all but the spicy chicken, serving it out on the empty plate and bowl you had beside you. He lifted the spoon he brought with him keeping his face blank, trying each quietly “hmm”-ing at each dish he sampled before adding more of each to his plate before his eyes wandered back to the spicy food you’d refused him. Taking a large serving with a smug grin aimed at you as he did, filling his spoon as you said quietly, “It’s spicy.”  
He scoffed at your statement and shoved it in his mouth, keeping his smug grin as long as he could until you caught the flinch in his eyebrow as the spices hit him. His chewing slowed as he took in a quick breath, watching as you slid a small bowl of the plain fried chicken over to him, “Add this, it’ll help.”  
His pride finally slid aside and he grabbed a piece with his fingers shoving it quickly in his mouth and relaxing again as the sting in his mouth faded. Both eating quietly as you watched from the corner of your vision as he finished the spicy chicken taking a piece of chicken with each bite to tame it down.  
…  
Each day he’d quietly join you, one day he eyed Tauriel, Fili and Kili talking in a room across the way. His eyes darting to your face as your eyes stayed in your food, “You can’t be enemies forever.”  
“Our races have certainly tried to destroy each other since the beginning, we very likely should remain enemies until he end of time. Unless you have some suggestion as to preventing that, seeing as you’re traveling with them.”  
“I destroy my enemies by making them my friends.”  
“So you would befriend an Orc then?” With a cocky smirk.  
You glanced up at him with another blank stare, “Orcs aren’t my enemy, they’re obstacles, they had no part in choosing their race, they were once something else, I pity them, granting each as quick a death as I can manage.”  
“I doubt very much you could form a friendship with me, not sure I would allow it. Or one between them either.”  
You quickly smirk at him making his eyebrow raise, “Careful, you know what’s been told about forbidden fruit.”  
“What would that be?”  
“It tastes the sweetest. There’s nothing more painful than wanting what you can’t have, and nothing more satisfying then when you finally get it. So I’d avoid forbidding their friendship if I were you.”  
He left the dinner still puzzled by your advice, and you left with a goal as he reassured you that he doubted you two, or Dwarves and Elves could ever truly be friends.  
…  
For the rest of your stay every time you’d pass him giving him a large smile, the first one stunning him at how your purple eyes and your whole body glowed as you smiled while walking past him. Each time doing the same, gradually his mouth turned up into a smile, even smirking as he’d pass you when you weren’t looking. When he first gave you a full smile he froze dropping his face into a quick scowl and stormed off when he caught your smile as you passed him again knowing you’d won.  
Though it didn’t stop with smiling, even through his attempted forced proud glares at you that always crumbled into weak smiles, he still searched you out whenever he could, if only to just get a glimpse of you. Smiles appearing randomly at anything that reminded him of you, your apple scent triggering the most as the Elves harvested their apples from the orchards in Rivendell. His smile finally dropping as a servant interrupted the White Counsel saying the Dwarf Company had left, leaving as soon as the meeting was over to beat you to The Gates of his Kingdom. Camping at the edge of his Kingdom until you left, smuggly barricading you all inside only to have his smile fall again as you’d managed to escape again.  
..  
His Men traced you to Laketown, he silently arrived as Thorin was being shouted at by the Master, his shouting ceasing as Thranduil quickly strode over gripping his shirt and slamming him against the pillar behind him, “You will not raise your voice to the King Under the Mountain Again or I shall have your head on a spike!!” Quietly leading your group to the Mountain and waiting with baited breath as you and Bilbo slipped inside.  
..  
After the Ring is destroyed he orders his Elves to cook your food for you, since your one shoulder is still severely injured along with your nearly fractured shin, ordered to bed rest, serving it out on a table in your room and joining you silently with his forced blank expression, repeating again, “We are not friends, and will never be.” Keeping his eyes on his plate he was filling as your eyes fell to his heavily bandaged bare chest and wrapped right arm from wounds he’d taken protecting you and the Dwarves.  
You fight back your smirk and reply in a slightly sarcastic tone, “What ever would give me that idea, Your Majesty?”  
He glanced up at you with a smirk as he took a bite of his chicken, finally using your pair of chopsticks you kept laying out for him that he had refused to use before this meal. His eyes showing a yearning and pleading gaze as your eyes left his, feeling a sharp sting at the loss of eye contact.  
He meant every word, you would never be friends, he would never allow it. He wanted so much more that that.


	2. Contain the oceans

Imagine you’ve been captured and locked in a cell in Mirkwood, the Elves assuming you had nothing on you seeing you had no bag on your back, and you were a Hobbit to their eyes so they just took you straight to a cell without checking you.   
….  
After a while you reach into your enchanted Hobbit bag, strapped around your waist under your long shirt, pull out a small flute and start playing a song, a guard comes and takes your flute, so you pull out a guitar, which they quickly return and take from you.   
This happens with the twenty other instruments you have in your bag, with the King perplexed at the growing pile of instruments outside the door to his throne room leaning against he wall every time an elf passed through the doors. Once you were out of instruments and growing more frustrated at the song that won’t get out of your head until you play it.   
You were only walking through the forest to look for your lost goat, though they laughed at this, obviously still having hard feelings about Bilbo getting past them, you loved your little Bilbo but he did tend to spoil a party even as a small child when you raised him after his parents died, he’d always get stuck or hurt causing the other Hobbit parents to set new rules or even ban games or events. So you hear the final straw snap as you flick your finger at the lock on your cell making the lock click and the door opens and you walk out and start looking around the kingdom for your instruments.   
You come across an empty ballroom with the giant windows covered with thick drapes and the room with at least an inch of dust with vines growing up the walls, you walk in admiring the dust covered chandelier made with diamonds, sapphires and rubies which matched the tall candelabras with sapphires and rubies dangling from the arches holding the candles. You make it halfway into the room looking up at the mural on the ceiling of the night sky with several of the Elves favorite constellations laid out in diamonds so they glow in the light, suddenly you run into something, you turn around and see a giant price of furniture covered in an elegantly embroidered sheet covered in various flowers, you grab the sheet and pull it off revealing the most gorgeous dark grey and white swirled marble piano with white and black marble keys, your fingers run over the cool marble then you are slowly drawn to the stool and slide your fingers over the keys as they find their home and an old song pops into your mind. (And so it goes- billy Joel) The notes flow out as you gently tap the keys your eyes close and the words quietly flow from your mouth, the familiar tune flowing through the halls straight into the throne room and into the heart of the King silently jerking him from his throne pulling him to you as your voice started to call out to him, the other elves not knowing why their King had abruptly left the room mid meeting, as the voice could only be heard by him, even if you merely mouthed the words your voice screamed out to him, a voice etched into his soul, his One, his feet finally stopping in the last room he held you in, the room no one but he could enter and there you were more than his memories could ever produce.   
As your fingers produced their last notes you opened your eyes and smiled at the memories of arms twisted around you, your heart throbbing at the ache of the centuries without them.   
Thranduil, “What is it about my prison cells that tells Hobbits they can roam freely in my Kingdom doing as they please?” Thranduil starts walking slowly over to you with his arms still bent at the elbow, with his fingers touching, holding up his long red wrap.   
You, “Try as you will the ocean will never allow itself to be contained entirely.” Thranduil stops at the piano, setting his wrap down on top of it, “Hmm. True, very true.” Now sitting down next to you his fingers on his left hand gliding across the keys until they meet yours and you flip your hand over allowing him to run his fingers over your palms and slowly up your arms and over the top of your shoulder brushing your long black curly hair onto your back and running his fingers through the curls.   
You look over at him, “I’m sorry about your father.” His fingers stopping at this for a moment, before continuing.   
Thranduil gently whispers, “Thank you."   
You, "I tried to tell them not to bring me, I was just looking for my goat.” Thranduil, “Does she have a scarf and enjoy pears?"   
You, "Where did they find her?"   
Thranduil lets out a chuckle, "She was in our store room, made it through half a barrel when they found her, she bit one of my men when he tried to take the barrel from her, we had to use it to lure her away from the rest of the food."   
You start to chuckle, "I’ll replace them, sorry. She tends to be greedy with pears, won’t stop till she passes out from eating too much."   
Thranduil, "Why would you tell them not to bring you here?"   
You, "Your father banished me."   
Thranduil looks you directly in the eyes, "That was the first ruling I changed when I took the throne. I sent word out as far as I could manage, I was sure Celeborn would have told you when he brought Legolas back to you. Then I heard you took in Elrond and his brother Elros. Our Little Leaf missed you while he was here."   
You, "He told me, Legolas made sure to tell me every thing that he could remember from the past century, while we’ve been apart, last month when we reclaimed Erebor. "   
Thranduil, "You’ve healed fully from the battle? You were put up in the private Royal Wing before I could check on you, Thorin wouldn’t let the guards allow me to check on you."   
You, "You weren’t a favorite subject with the Dwarves, I did tell them about Legolas though."   
Thranduil, "I am grateful for that. I told him to stay as long as they would allow.” You, “Had I been awake I would have told them to let you in, I am sorry for the distance."   
Thranduil look at you with a concerned glance, "Are you happy in the mountain?"   
You, "They are friendly enough, I like my job helping them grow their own food and manage the food stores, through Bombur has taken to it quite nicely so I fear I will be out of a job soon though none of them will admit it."   
Thranduil, "Well with the battles and aiding Laketown and the attack of a certain goat we seem to be in need of someone to manage our food supply."   
You turn and look at him with a small smirk, "Are you offering me a job?"   
Thranduil grabs your hand again and looks you square in the eye, "I’m offering you forever. After the ring is destroyed next week please come home.” His eyes drop to his lap, “I know the Hobbits orphans needed you after Erebor and Elles fell….” his eyes dart back up to you as you interrupt him.   
You, “I miss you. I brought my clothes, and my goat, your guard took all my instruments too. They don’t enjoy my playing I guess."   
Thranduil chuckles, "I was wondering whose those were…” his mouth dropping a bit. “You brought your things….to move in with me?” Smiling at you with that irresistible twinkle in his eyes.   
You lean in and kiss his nose causing him to chuckle, “Unless your reconsidering my banishment."   
Thranduil cups your cheek, "You’re never to leave my side again.” As he kisses you deeply you return the kiss before pulling away his eyebrows perking up at this.   
You, “You know I did just break out of your prison, after entering your kingdom while to my knowledge still being under banishment, rules are difficult for me.” Thranduil laughing again as you wrap your arms around his neck under his hair and pull him into another kiss as he grabs your legs and pulls them into his lap to hold you closer as you deepen the kiss, passionately squeezing each other closer with the centuries apart melting away as your lips and hands moved in ways echoing the days of your young adulthoods.  
Long before the First age started when he ran away from home at his fathers refusal, you eloped and hid from his father as you had your son for four hundred years, until he found you and took Thranduil from you and your son, telling you you could keep him until he was fully grown and old enough to begin his duties, Thranduil sneaking off to Lothlorien for his faked meetings for months to spend time with you two until his father moved his people to Greenwood, then went off to war and died and he had to stay in Greenwood most of the year always another reason coming up so you couldn’t meet but sending Legolas back and forth with Celeborn.   
Your hearts pulsing to the same rhythm again enjoying every second until there was a knock at the door with an announcement following.   
Elf, “My King the goat escaped again, we can’t find it anywhere."   
The Elf peeks through the door as you separate and start to laugh as the King joins in before you put your feet back down on the floor, his eyes opening wider when he recognizes you wondering why you were in here with the King. You stand and offer your hand out to the King to help him up which he accepts and refuses to let go of as he reaches for his long wrap and throws it over his left shoulder.   
You, "She likes to sleep near potatoes. After you.” Holding your free hand out as he entwined his fingers between yours tightening his grip slightly and holding his head proudly that you were by his side. Each elf glancing up at you with the oldest of them and the Elves that work in the Royal Wing that have seen the portraits the King and the Prince have made of you, recognizing you and bowing to you, spreading the word who you were, all of them happy to finally see you and to see their King smiling so brightly again.   
Legolas finding out quickly that his mother was here quickly running up to you wrapping you tightly in a hug lifting you off the ground, Thranduil still unwilling to release your hand.   
Legolas sets you down smiling widely, “You’re here?"   
You, "I am.” Legolas looks from you to his father slightly confused.   
Thranduil looks at his son and adds, “She’s staying here, with us.” Legolas’ eyes perk up again, beaming and squeezes you into a hug again lifting you in the air again as you press your forehead against his.   
Legolas, “Welcome home Mom.” As he sets you back down again taking your empty hand. “So are we giving you the grand tour?"   
You, "We are in search of potatoes.” Legolas tilts his head confused. “My goat is loose in Mirkwood, she’ll be curled up asleep near potatoes."   
Legolas nods at this, "To the potatoes then.” You three giggle as Thranduil continues to lead the way, eventually finding your adorable goat curled up near a mountain of potatoes, leaving a plate of pears for her when she wakes up and Thranduil starts to take you on a proper tour of your new Kingdom ending in your room as Legolas went to prepare a picnic for the three of you with all your favorite desserts.   
Thranduil asks you if you liked the room which he designed to every detail he could remember you liked in building designs. You nod your head then aloofly walk towards the bed with your hands behind your back as you take three large steps and jump and land on your back on the large soft mattress covered in large furs and the mountain of pillows all caving in around you as you and the King start to laugh. He quickly walks to the bed and climbs up and lies down next to you on the bed and you curl up halfway on his chest as he wraps his arms around you and kisses your forehead.   
Thranduil, “I spoke with Bilbo. You did an amazing job raising him, Elrond as well, though I’ve said it before. Not just anyone can sneak out of my prison unnoticed. Why wouldn’t he have mentioned our marriage to the Dwarves?” You, “Gloin asked if I had children once, I told him I had a son named Legolas, they recognized the name, I confirmed you were the father, but this was after Bilbo had told him that I adopted him, Elrond, Elros and several other orphan Hobbits, and none of them had heard of you being married so they assumed I was a surrogate mother or a nanny or something I suppose, you weren’t an easy subject to start on and they didn’t like to pry too much into my past. I informed Bofur before I left, he seemed excited for me, he finally got why you had been so eager to see me."   
Thranduil kisses you quickly again on the lips before pressing your foreheads together, "I can’t wait to see Thorin’s face when he sees us back together on our way to Gondor."   
You, "You’re sure you want to go to Gondor? I know it was hard on you last time you went to Mordor."   
Thranduil, "This time you’ll be there, nothing to worry about as long as you’re with me. I’ll have a terrifying Hobbit there to protect me.” Running his fingers through your hair as Legolas comes back in the room with baskets of food in his arms and quickly sets them down before pushing the table in the room next to the bed and sets up all the food in the table, all of you enjoy the food and talking for several hours until Legolas started to yawn and you sent him to bed like you used to earning a chuckle and a kiss in the nose from him the way he used to before he went off to bed.   
Thranduil offered you his softest shirt which you changed into with your usual pair of sleeping shorts, braided your hair back as you walked to the pile of pillows and pushed the blankets down with your foot as you tied a ribbon into the bottom of your braid as you sat down in the center of the bed and pulled up the blankets around you as Thranduil stood at the end of the bed smiling at you as you followed the same bedtime rituals from so long ago.   
He chuckles at you and crawls over the covers pulling them down before climbing into the spot and wrapping his arm over your chest pulling you into his chest as he lifts up the blanket to his shoulder as he kisses you again before nestling you into his arms twisting throwing one of your legs over his and wrapping your arm around his back as you two went to sleep, both wanting to do more but knowing you couldn’t risk losing a child before battle, but surely after the King would be taking a very very long vacation with you, at this news Legolas was eagerly hoping for a younger sibling or maybe four.


	3. Cursed

Cursed, the word that repeated once again in The Great King’s mind. Everyone and everything he had cared for had faded and abandoned him, to the deepest core of his heart he’d deemed himself cursed. The thought and title sank deep into his being pulling him farther and farther from the King he’d imagined his Father had dreamt of him becoming, his tolerance of his pain diminished with each day, forcing himself into a numb mindset to bear the weight of his crown. Remaining on his throne to fill the void as in time all foul things crept forward, not the best for the job but with his two Ages of reigning as King he was far superior than the alternative of letting the Silvan Elves his Father had claimed as his subjects, when they’d fled his homeland, allowing them to rule themselves and wait as they faded into the creeping darkness claiming their Kingdom.  
Their faces finding him in his moments of silence and solitude, His Parents, Grandparents, His wife, and You. As your group was shoved into his presence his heart was eternally yours, an incredible force drew him to you, the Dwarves surrounding you did their best to maintain your protection and comfort shielding you from your Elven Kin. Through whispers from his guards he’d learned you were one of the few Vanyar to ever sail east and the last still alive, your conversations with Bilbo about your homeland compared to his made his heart sink as he’d never laid eyes on the wondrous place. Truly unlike any other Elleth he’d ever encountered, ‘Fair Elves, Light Elves, Spear Elves’, among the first and smallest of the kindreds of the Eldar, even Galadriel who had descended from them could not compare with your beauty. Normally with golden hair, but as you were granted passage your hair turned a deep Raven, long and curly with strands glistening as if in constant starlight, a gift from Varda for your travels, the constellations of Valinor reflected into your curls, shining brighter as you allowed your light to flow freely from you in your times of peace.  
As he watched the Mountain after Smaug’s last Mighty Roar his mind kept wandering back to you, for nearly a week without any trace of the Dragon he spotted the smallest of the Dwarves heads pop up on the overlook above the large gate then disappear causing a small smirk slide onto his face at the confirmation you’d won it back and the beast was dead. The battle after was grueling with a devastating end, he’d seen you fall in Thorin’s place, it took everything in him not to kill the Dwarf that had stolen his chance at his One, refusing to lay eyes on him, sending Legolas in his place, forming excuse after excuse to keep himself within his borders until his burning rage had diminished.   
The latest stab in his heart had left him teetering over the edge, his Elk was missing, the one whose head you’d curled your arms around at it nuzzled against your chest as you sang as you relaxed in his gardens during your brief stay in his KingdomThe one you had saved in battle. The same creature had bridged your gap a few inches, allowing you to ride his back only to stop suddenly as you passed the King, causing his heart to stop completely as you’d fallen into his chest, your lips brushing his cheek as your starlight filled hair pooled across his shoulder and chest, only to tangle in his crown for a short time, allowing him to hold you close to him as you’d started to untangle your hair from his crown.  
..  
Your soft voice echoing in his heart, every moment pulsing back into his mind as each day passed no matter what he’d tried. Glancing at his blooming flowers around him his eyes rose to the Elk prancing around the garden with you on his back, the King’s cheeks rose as his smile grew at the sight, unable to fight back his chuckle at your adorable giggle making your glow grow, his eyes returning to the flowers for his next few rounds until he’d heard the pace quicken, his smile drooping as he turned to see the Elk rounding the corner as you’d gripped at the extra clump of fur at the base of it’s neck. Only to have it turn and stop flinging you into the King’s chest, with his arms firmly around you, he somehow maintained his balance as he caught you, his heart pounding furiously as the Elk trotted away happily.   
His cheek tingling at the memory of your lips brushing against them, a soft, “Sorry.” Beside his right ear triggering a nervous chuckle to escape from the Great King, his eyes lifting to your face from your shoulder that was nearly a few inches from his face as he turned his head slightly, seeing your eyes looking up at his head as you said, “My hair’s in your crown, do you mind if I touch your crown?”  
His velvety voice coming out with a slight tremble, “Not at all, either that or we’re stuck like this. Would you mind if I lifted your legs, for a better grip..”  
“If you think it would be best, then alright. Just try not to drop me, or move suddenly.” You gripped his shoulder as he glanced down as best he could without moving his head too much, eying your legs and moving his left hand under your legs raising them to his side as he kept you against him before asking, “This alright?”  
As you fought to keep your hands from shaking your voice dropped into a shaky whisper, “Just don’t move your head quickly.” As you gently lifted your hands above his head and started to untangle yourself from the King, when your task was complete he’d given you a gentle smile before setting you down softly and watching as you nervously walked away from him after he’d thanked you again, heading to the floor where he’d set the Dwarves and Bilbo up in.  
..  
Only twice a year his Elk wished to roam freely through his lands, Mating and Birthing seasons, he’d hated allowing the creature out of his sight this year but he could not claim his nature and had no wish to so he’d allowed him his freedom. The King had joined his latest group of Guards, searching frantically only to be finally met with the sound of thundering hooves, his head turned to see the Lone White Stag jerking to a stop in front of the King with a fearful look in his eyes before turning back and heading back where he’d come from. The King quickly drew his swords and sprinted after him as his Guards drew theirs as they fought to keep up. As his chase had ended he saw the scattered dead spiders and Orcs, quickly spying a large dead Warg before hearing another growl and a guttural bellow of his Stag among the sound of pounding hooves joined by a quiet shrieking gasp.  
He quickened his pace as he saw your back against a tree as your feet were holding a Warg away from your body as you fought to grab your sword you’d dropped, only to be freed as he saw his bloodied Stag raise up and lunge at the Warg managing to flip it onto its side before the Stag dropped to its stomach as its legs gave out. The distraction was enough to allow you to grip your sword and kill the Warg as the creeping Spider behind you was attacked by the White Stag, the spider screeched loudly as the King rushed past you and quickly sliced through its body killing it before turning and shielding you in a tight hug as his Guards killed the small group of Orcs coming for you.  
He held his firm hug as you trembled in his grip for a few moments from your weeks alone in the forest, though as your trembling stopped he felt your head droop against him as a deep dream filled state claimed you as the last of your energy burned out. His breathing slowed as he lifted you higher holding you firmly as he glanced around the small area, his eyes finding his still wheezing Elk whose initial injuries had been tended to but had received a group of new smaller cuts. Following the Elk’s gaze he saw the terrified and injured white doe curled in the roots of a massive tree shielded by the dead bodies of Orcs, as he stepped closer to her slowly he saw her wounds had nearly healed but her strength had not yet fully returned as the two white fawns curled behind her had recently been born. 

The guards circled the area around where he’d found you finding the wagon filled with Bilbo’s belongings with two wheels that were broken and the terrified pony that had pulled it was trying its best to curl under a tree as well. Another wave of guards with two wagons arrived to help bring the animals and Bilbo’s belongings to the Kingdom as he still held you against his chest, gently lifting your legs against his side so your chest would be flat against his, sliding his hand across your back gently in hopes that he could hold off any nightmare. He fought the tears trying to fill his eyes at the blessing that you had survived somehow and had only been sent to retrieve your friends belongings, unable to stop his lips from pressing a gentle kiss to your hair as he carried you through the now crowded halls of the Kingdom as word had spread a Woman had been found in the forest with the wounded Elks.  
The Elks were taken to a small garden clearing outside the room you were gifted, as healers shoed the King out of the room he’d learned the whole story from the white doe as the King’s Elk was being healed as well. You’d been traveling on your wagon when your wheels got stuck in some trap, you’d managed to free it while trying to escape a large spider, quickly being set on by an Orc pack. Only after they were dead you’d heard the whimpering from the wounded doe as she started her labor, quickly mending her wound as best as you could before you’d help with the birth. The Elk had found you shortly after, claiming his wounds to his back and legs as he helped you fend off a pack of Wargs, for weeks you’d healed and foraged for them all, alone in his dark forest.  
When you were fully cleaned he’d been allowed back in, you were curled on your chest against a pillow as the large gashes and bruises from the Wargs was thickly wrapped along withe the smaller cuts on your arms and legs including one severely sprained ankle paired with a massive bruise and swollen knee on the same leg.   
Bilbo’s belongings along with word of your safekeeping was sent to Erebor under heavy guard assuring their safety and to inform you friends of what had happened and that they could visit if they’d like when you’d woken up. The King stayed by your side feeling his heart lighten again as he stayed near you, speaking and reading to you as you rested. Through the days you slept the Elks, doe and her two fawns would come in to curl up beside you quietly telling you about the flowers that day as the fawns told you about their first sighting of butterflies.   
Day by day your light returned, but it wasn’t until the moment your eyes had opened that he’d seen the now green forest around him as a strong breeze blew through it, and dancing across each leaf in the massive forest the Elves swore they saw pure starlight floating through the breeze. All those years of pain, loneliness, he would keep you safe, loved for all eternity, until the day the world ended and it was time to rebuild the world, the one word he’d never claimed again after your return, was cursed.


	4. Feast of Starlight

Last night You had attended the Feast of Starlight with the Company, It is now almost a year since Erebor was reclaimed, it is mostly rebuilt. You had an amazing night, though how you ended up in this giant soft bed covered in thick furs is news to you. You were quite comfortable lying in your usual position on your stomach with your arms wrapped around a pillow, deciding to stay here for a time until you notice someone was stroking the skin on your back through the cutouts of your midriff baring bejeweled shirt, you silently make a fist and turn and hit the culprit straight in the jaw. Gasping aloud as you realize it was King Thranduil, you kept apologizing as he lifted his free hand, the other holding his jaw, “No, no I deserved that, I startled you.” letting go of his chin and smiling at you.   
You turn over, sit up and look around, “Where am I?”  
Thranduil, “My room.”  
Your eyes go wide as you look back at the King, “Why?”  
Thranduil, “Last time you were in My Kingdom I heard you and Bofur talking about how you enjoy soft mattresses and large piles of blankets, especially furs. My bed is the biggest and softest bed in the Kingdom, and I always have furs to spare. We went on the balcony to gaze at the stars, I went for drinks, you had fallen asleep when I returned, so I brought you here.”  
You smile as you look at the size of the bed, which the entire Company could fit on with room to spare, “You slept here as well?”  
Thranduil, “Does that upset you?”  
You, “Surprised you could fit, Its so small. What with your long legs and all.” The King laughing at this as he stretches out beside you comparing leg sizes, having nearly a foot on yours.


	5. Five Minutes

Storming as casually as you could straight for the Royal Wing the Elf King trailed you from the meeting you’d just sat through where one of the visiting Elf Councilmen had spent the last hour tearing apart each and every one of your ideas all over a stupid little dove figurine you refused to sell him 2000 years prior. A lingering grudge that nearly broke your calm facade through the whole ordeal.  
Focusing on you the King’s eyes followed your path and narrowed when you missed the turn for your room. Entering the Royal Wing he heard your muffled argument kept behind your clenched jaw heading straight for his rooms. Widening his eyes he watched as you entered leaving the door open for him and heading straight for his bed, setting the paper in your hands on the table along the way. Pushing down his covers he closed his door and entered his bedroom in time to see you climb in your bed and jerk the covers up over your head making him chuckle.  
“What are you doing?”  
“Five minutes.” His ear twitched up hearing the Council member passing his room turning for the back hall muttering about how he was going to go to your room and continue his lecture drawing a near growl from him before he turned back to you as you mumbled, “He wouldn’t look here.”  
Thranduil sat at your side gently rubbing his hand across your back, “He’ll be gone by morning.”  
Your head shifted under the covers, “Lord Celeborn isn’t due back for another month though.”  
He rose to brush back the covers and slide in with you curling around your back pulling the covers back up over you both, “He’ll be gone by morning.” Smiling under the covers as you snuggled closer to his chest.  
“Thank you, I’ll just need the five minutes, then we can get back to the notes.”  
He chuckled wrapping his arms tighter around you, “Make it ten, or at least until the first guard comes to call for me.”  
Your smile grew as his fingers curled through yours and his lips gently pressed to your cheek, “Ten minutes.”


	6. Following the King

Following the Elven King around awkwardly in Mirkwood, not knowing what to do all day, not saying anything and peering over his shoulder when he is sitting down and reading. Him being annoyed at first then getting used to it and just tolerating your company.  
Then one day snapping into a small panic attack when he looks for you on one of his walks through the Kingdom, but he finds you eventually curled up sleeping under a tree in one of his favorite gardens, they had never assigned you a room.  
He is furious when he learns this though doesn’t really understand why, and carries you to a large room in the Royal Wing that is used for visiting guests of Royalty. Checking on you every few hours concerned, not knowing Hobbits can sleep for weeks at a time.  
So you wake up two weeks later to see the frazzled and emotionally fragile King standing at the foot of your bed talking to the twelfth healer he had consulted about you.


	7. Hide ‘N’ Seek

Found this in my ideas book, rough but here’s the gist…  
In Rivendell you and Thranduil get off to a terrible start, he keeps bringing up your “childish” behavior not matching your high status.  
The Princes start a game of Hide ‘n’ Seek that you take a bit too seriously.  
-First hiding spot - You hide on top of a cabinet in Elrond’s study. Thranduil, Legolas, Elrond, Lindir head inside to get a private moment away from the Dwarf Princes that are running around trying to find you, they look up from the table they’re seated at when they hear you giggling as your foot starts to fall asleep, finding you hiding behind the planters kept up there.  
Elrond, “How did..”  
You, “Shhh.” Holding a finger to your lips as Kili charges though the door before bowing to the group and leaving, shutting the door gently behind him before running off again.  
\- second hiding spot - Lindir screaming when he goes to set something on a table, it falls off the edge and you catch it when he goes to reach for it, triggering your apology and the rush to find another hiding spot.  
\- third hiding spot - You’re curled up in a large chest, Thranduil finds you as he’s searching for an old board game, you hear Kili coming so you pull him into the chest with you, throwing a book at Legolas who’d followed after his Father. You shut the lid and Legolas opens the book and sits on the chest just as Kili runs in to check the room before walking out with a huff.  
Thranduil keeps fidgeting around you attempting to get you out of the box, after you hear Kili leave you remove your hand from the King’s mouth. He straightens up pressing his back against the lid of the box only to hear the chest get latched by the Prince, Thranduil glances up at the top of the box, “You did not just lock us in!”  
Legolas chuckles reopening the book, “You two need to work this out.”  
Thranduil fidgets again nearly catching you in the face with his crown, “Hey, watch the crown.”  
“Will you move your foot?” Knocking is heard in the chest as he twists and turns.  
“Which o..that one, sorry.” Legolas is heard snickering outside. “Hey!” His hand jerked back to be flat against the lid after through his turn he’d accidentally grabbed your ass.  
“That was not intentional. Just, shift that,” groans, and whispers “Not there.”  
“Wasn’t intentional.” Smirking up at him as he takes a breath eventually settling in a near kneeling position with your body curled around him and his massive legs.  
He huffs loudly, “What are you doing in here anyway, this is not very becoming behavior for an Elf Lady.”  
“Psh, you can keep your title, I’m winning, that’s what I’m doing. What do you have against having fun?”  
He stared at you with a serious expression that he fought to keep as you gently slid his hair back onto his back after it had fallen into your face, “I am a King, Kings don’t…”  
You groaned rolling your eyes causing his brows to raise as Legolas snickered again, “You are an immortal King, you really want to spend the rest of eternity sitting in the box of expectations and etiquette the world forced on you? You’re in a box Dew Drop, I’m officially dragging you into this game,” Your finger gently tapping him in the center of his chest, “So loosen up and try to remember that you only get so many chances to cut loose, with battles nearly everyday you have to remember the fun or you’ll break in half.”  
His eyebrow rose again, “Dew Drop?”


	8. Knots

You are being interrogated by the King who is growing increasingly irritated as you won’t meet his gaze. The King saying in an irritated tone, “Are you ignoring me?”  
You darted your eyes up to his causing his breath to pause as he caught your eye color, as you asked, “How do you get your hair to stay in place?”  
The King squinted his eyes slightly in confusion, “Excuse me?”  
“How do you get your hair to stay straight, mine always knots up around itself.”  
His eyes ran over your knotted and matted, dirt, twig, and web covered curly hair curled up into a messy bun on the back of your head. The King took in a deep breath and he had you taken to a room to bathe and change hoping it would improve your willingness to talk.  
As he grew impatient of waiting he went to your room hearing you struggling with something, thinking you were trying to pry open the window he had secured before you had been left there. He threw open the door, seeing you on the foot of the bed working your comb through your hair muttering in a language he didn’t understand. He let out a deep breath as he walked over taking your comb, telling you to turn to the side as he worked through your hair.  
As he continued the more he became increasingly frustrated with the knots that kept appearing, eventually muttering to himself in Elvish that he would get your hair to obey and remain in place, forcing you to giggle as Tauriel and Legolas watched in the doorway shocked at their Kings behavior.


	9. Library

In the months after the rebuild had started to regain trust between the Kingdoms, King Thranduil had opened his library to any Dwarf who wished to visit, outwardly claiming to share their histories in hopes of dissolving the ignorance between their cultures, though his true reason having a more selfish desire masked in friendship with the Dwarves.   
A certain pair of purple eyes had been tracking his movements through his life and that of his lineage, a mere seamstress in his town, one that would randomly appear and vanish again just as quickly, so when those eyes were spotted behind the bars of his prison he did everything in his power to keep you well within his sights, fueled his bottled rage when your group had escaped.  
As the Dwarves and Elves healed he opened his Kingdom hoping to lead you back into his view again. The first Dwarf to jump on the offer was obviously Ori, who happily explored the library with Bilbo at his side, the Elf King noticed your dear friends and made sure their every comfort was seen to.  
…  
Ori, “You just have to go Jaqi.”  
You set down your latest stack of sorted papers into their new home in the new cabinet you had built enforcing your so called ‘barbaric’ filing system into the Dwarves world. Turning back to the smiling Dwarf as he held out his latest borrowed book showing it off as some incredibly rare treasure, which honestly, as one of the first books written from the First Age it really was, giving him a small smile, “Fine, I’ll go.”  
He let out a happy hum as he gave you the directions to the library from the front gate before snapping into a long description of how it looked and offering a few suggestions of books to start with.  
…

It was a cool sunny morning, taking advantage of one of the last few days before fall turned into summer you pulled on one of your nicer dresses, normally in pants and a loose shirt with a vest with boots up to your knees.  
After spending an hour untangling your long black curly hair you pulled the top half back into a small braid securing it with a thin green ribbon matching your pale green layered lace dress with sleeves that went to your elbows. Flipping open your small chest you had made for your shoes, finding that Dori had finally fulfilled his promise to mend your worn shoes, leaving your chest empty, you rolled your head back as you pinched the bridge of your nose, closing your eyes as you let out a quick groan.  
Dropping your arm and heading out the door, gaining more than a few curious stares from the Dwarves at your outfit, sticking your tongue out at the Princes who had noticed your dress as they slammed into a very large Dwarf from the Iron Hills, both quickly chuckling and apologizing before trying and failing to catch up to you.  
..  
The cool breeze hit your skin as you headed out through the open gate, crossing the cold grass in the field between Erebor and the Forest. Humming a quiet song to yourself as the Dwarves in guard all watched you walk off to the neighboring Kingdom alone, after a few small forced smiles from the guards at the front gate you headed through the long twisting directions Ori had given you.  
Though halfway through you were stumped as your next direction was to take the bridge, and yet two were in front of you, the direction after being to turn at a specific statue you took the bridge that had a few scattered decorations rather than the bare one on your right. Your next five directions added to your confusion that was only worsened by the fact that you were entirely alone without any sight or sound of anyone. Wandering through your new maze you stumbled upon your last direction, a massive statue of an Elk, raising a curious eyebrow at how you’d managed to find your way to the proper place before slipping through the door.  
Your eyes scanned the room, nowhere near as massive as Ori had claimed, whispering to yourself in Khuzdul, “For a Dwarf who lives in a mountain you’d think he’d know massive when he saw it…though it is bigger than the apartments in the Royal Wing.” Your eyes falling to the scarce but comfortable looking large chairs scattered through the room all with massive blankets thrown over them making your eyebrows press together as you remembered Ori saying how clean, orderly and crowded it was.  
The silent empty room around you nowhere near what he described, though the dark wooden shelves caught your eye as you noticed the Ancient Elvish texts across the bindings that Ori hadn’t mentioned, most of the languages not even spoken outside of those Elves’ bloodlines after the destruction of their former homes.  
You smiled as you skimmed the titles in a language you’d ached for since you’d been forced to flee your ruined Kingdom, pausing on a title you’d never heard on the last row of shelves, your smile growing as you noticed it was a series, something truly rare for Elves. Mostly preferring in that age to keep their stories verbal so they could grow like their tree filled Kingdoms.  
Your fingers tentatively reached out and gently slid the first of the books off of the shelf, cradling it carefully against your chest as you walked to the armchair closest to you, sliding the large blanket to the side as you curled your legs into the cushion. Laying the small leather bound book on your lap as you slid your fingers gently across the title in your old tongue, “Mighty Duil.” (Mighty River)  
Butterflies filled your stomach as bumps rose across your skin from your nerves at what you’d find inside, smiling again as you opened the book, examining the title page then flipping again eyeing the chapter titles and flipping again finding the start of your new Journey.  
The book seemed to be akin to a diary, but written more as what they had wished had happened, working in the main character, Duil, through the problems under the watchful eyes of his Father and the thousands that surrounded him. His Father being a high ranking Elf so the Son had expectations to face but yearned for the ability to do more than be what his Father has expected of him, aspiring to heal his world. Building his way to being their masked hero, their first choice when the world fell around them.  
You quickly worked through the first three books, slipping from serious to terrifying with dashes of humor in the interactions with his Father, as you started the fourth book your eyes went cloudy for a moment as your body let out a quiet hum as your head unwillingly dipped for a moment. You jerked your head back up as you shivered at your sudden drowsiness, feeling a tightening in your stomach your signal that it would start growling soon. Regret filled you at not bringing your bag with snacks in it, mainly at the insistence from Ori that the several servants that had tended to him brought a round of snacks every half hour for him to keep up his energy as he poured through the stacks of books.  
You gently closed the book as you shivered again, feeling another wave of exhaustion taking over you, forcing yourself onto your feet, brushing your hair back before pinching the bridge of your nose again as you cradled the book again. The cold marble floor making your entire body chill causing you to turn to your only option, mumbling softly, “I suppose they wouldn’t mind if I borrowed this too, I’ll bring it back tomorrow with the book.”  
The incredibly soft yet thick massive burnt orange blanket with a shiny silver covered in embroidered green vines stretching on the opposite side felt heavy, and somehow still warm, against your cold skin as you pulled it around you. Wrapping yourself in a little cocoon making sure not to let it touch the floor, fighting another head droop as you headed for the door again, the closer you got you’d started to finally hear the first traces of life since you’d left the gates.  
…  
Earlier that day…  
The King gracefully glided through the empty halls from his Rooms to the large meeting room on the main floor nearly twenty floors below him, quietly humming to himself as his mind wandered to you. As his boots finally reached the last step of his last flight of stairs he’d heard the front gates open in the distance signaling the first Dwarf visitors for the day. His humming pausing as he heard his Guards straightening up as they heard his footsteps approaching, rounding the last corner and he froze.  
His pulse spiked as bumps rose and slid across his entire body as he spotted you in your dress, the startled deer of a King quickly pressed a finger to his lips to silence the guard that was going to announce him to you. Not wishing to startle you or force you into such a formal interaction, hoping to casually find you later in the library. His head turned to follow your path through the long hallway as he took in every detail of your body in your dress, one you’d obviously spent possibly days making yourself, admiring the extra care you’d put into your appearance during our visit making a small smile firm across his face. He took a silent step forward from behind the corner as he watched you, confirming you’d taken the proper turn before taking in a deep breath to settle himself before heading to the guard and informing him to make sure the fires were lit in the library and you were given enough food and anything else you’d need while you were here.  
Giving a quick nod as he finished the small list he’d mentally prepared weeks prior before turning and heading off for his meeting. As it ended he made sure to check with the same guard on how you were being cared for, his mouth dropping open as he told the King, “We haven’t been able to find her since she turned that corner.” Pointing at the end of the Hall.  
The King took in a deep breath as a small surge of panic struck him for your safety, “Find her.” As he headed down the hallway taking the turn himself and starting his own search, hoping you’d just made a new friend or lost track of time admiring a decoration along the way, knowing full well how his winding Kingdom could leave you trapped for a very long time.  
For half an hour nearly every inch of the Kingdom had been searched and the guards at the gate had confirmed that you hadn’t left, certain of it as you were the only visitor to arrive that day and the guards in watch hadn’t switched yet. The King let out a loud groan as he headed to his room to throw something, rounding the last corner as a lone servant came out of the Prince’s room after leaving fresh towels, bowing to the King and flinching back up as a supposedly hidden door behind the massive Elk statue. The King placed himself between the shocked Elleth and the supposed intruder, sliding his hand along his leg for his hidden dagger, pausing as he caught a mess of black curls wrapped tightly in one of his wraps making his smile return as he saw you turn and pull the door shut with your foot letting out a grumble as it didn’t shut completely and slid back open a crack.  
He took a few steps closer to you noting your drooping eyes and head as you tried to turn back the way you’d came but noticed the massive Elf blocking your path unable to focus on his facial features to recognize who it was.  
He bowed his head to you slightly and spoke out in his calm velvety voice, “Are you alright?”  
You gave a quick nod as your eyes dropped shut again, “Yes, just tired, I hope they won’t mind if I borrowed this blanket thing, I’ll bring it back tomorrow with the book.”  
Trying to stagger your way around the King, rolling your ankle as your body tried to collapse into sleep, letting out another grumble as he caught you saying, “There’s no way you can make it back to Erebor, you’re staying here tonight.”  
You shook your head making his smile grow again as he watched your hair curl around your face, “No, the King into said we could only visit the library.”  
He fought back a chuckle, lifting his finger to his lips to keep the servant silent as he pulled his face into a more serious one, “Well I will personally speak to the King myself, I know he will understand. We can’t have you wandering out alone and collapsing in the forest, it’s gotten quite cold outside. Let’s find you a bed.”  
You let out a sigh as you slumped against his chest as he held you up making his smile grow again after he let out a quiet chuckle before turning to the servant and saying softly, “Would you kindly inform the guards downstairs I have located my guest and that she’ll be staying the night.” She quickly nodded and went to inform them of your message.  
He leaned down for a moment lifting you, now with your head against his shoulder as he held you and your massive cocoon securely in his arms as he carried you to a guest room across from his.  
His smile growing as you’d nuzzled your head against his cheek gently pressing your lips against his cheek as you mumbled something in a language he didn’t understand making the bumps rise across his body again. He slid one of his hands off of your back to open the door, slipping inside carefully trying not to jostle you as he crossed the large suite to the large bed. Laying you down gently, trying to contain his smile as he heard you grumble from the loss of his firm grip around you, his eyes slid over the wrap searching for a way to free you only to find the book you’d mentioned sticking out of a fold. He gently pried it out of your hand and held back his chuckle as you’d found his book he’d written as a child, gently setting it down on the small table next to the bed and pulling the blankets up over you and your cocoon.  
Pulling back upright again he glanced down at you with a large smile, finding himself unable to find the will to leave your side, letting out a sigh as he turned to see the chair beside the wall, grabbing his book and settling in, quietly promising himself he’d only stay for a few minutes. As he finished the first page his eyes slid to you as he heard you let out a quiet hum as you rolled into your stomach snuggling your face into the large pillow, he felt his smile growing again as he watched you in awe as your skin glowed in the moon and starlight pouring through the large window. Eyeing the light as it shined across the curls in your hair, feeling his heart warm up at he small smile that slid across your lips in your sleep as your breathing deepened.  
Before he had realized it the sun was rising and he was still memorizing you as you hummed in your sleep, an old familiar tune that he’d been humming himself since he was a child, one he’d heard from you the first time he’d seen you. His pulse spiked as he realized your breathing had quickened and your humming had stopped, his face relaxing as he tried to straighten up and dart out until you’d let out a grumble as your face scrunched up.  
He relaxed back into the chair flipping open the book in his lap to a random page, as his eyes darted to your face again watching as you stretched your legs and your eyes opened, blinking a few times. Your eyes focused bringing the Elf King into view, showing his soft smile to you as he sat in the chair beside your bed, he closed the book and set it on the table next to him, “Good morning. Did you sleep well?”  
You gave him a nervous smile, “Good morning Your Majesty, I slept very well.” You squirmed a bit to loosen the wrap as you sat up and freed your arms giving him another glance before dropping your eyes to your lap, “I am sorry about taking up one of your rooms, I should have left sooner.”  
His chuckle made you freeze drawing your eyes back to his now large smile, “It is no problem at all, you’re welcome anytime. I am curious what you thought of the library where you found this.” Gently tapping the cover to the book you’d borrowed as he kept his smile and gaze on you.  
Your smile grew as you said, “It’s incredible, I haven’t seen books in my language since I left home, I’m surprised that Ori hadn’t mentioned it, and his description was shockingly off, it’s nowhere near as massive as he said.”  
He let out another chuckle as he leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees, “That is because you somehow found your way into my private library.”  
Your mouth dropped open a bit as your face went blank in shock and embarrassment, “Oh.”  
He let out another quick chuckle, “Which you’re welcome to anytime as well, next time I’ll be sure to light the fire and lay out food for you as well during your stay. I am sorry about the cold, I noticed you’d curled up in my wrap as you ran into me.”  
“That was you?” You slid your hand across your face, mumbling, “Oh that’s embarrassing.”  
His chuckle making you look back at him again, “It was refreshing not to be spoken to as a King, and the servant bringing our towels got a chuckle out of it as well.”  
You shifted from side to side as you pulled out his wrap from around you and pulled it into your lap, “Sorry about borrowing this, if I’d known it…”  
Your sentence broke as he gently placed his hand on yours making you meet his kind gaze again, “It’s not a problem, please stop apologizing, you’ve done nothing wrong. You’re welcome to what you want during your stays here, within reason of course.” Giving your hand a gentle squeeze before pulling his hand back, “Besides, you just looked so adorable curled up in it.”  
You smiled and let out a quiet chuckle which broke as a knock sounded on the door which opened as the King called out to come in, The Prince walked in with a small group of servants who had brought you breakfast. The King gently helped you out of bed, admiring your dress much closer this time, able to brush his fingers across the material as he helped you to your feet. Shooting his son a thankful smile as you all sat down for breakfast, making sure to escort you back to Erebor himself after changing his shirt for their meeting that day, sure to hand you the book you’d picked out before you left.   
Giving you a large smile as he headed to the meeting room as you headed back up to your room where you could let out your pent up groans and squeals from your time with the King. Each time after the King would greet you and personally escort you back to his library where’d you’d both spend several hours reading and snacking together before he’d have you escorted back, always silently hoping you’d slump against the chair you’d claimed in an exhausted pile, hoping to be able to hold you again with possibly another chance at your lips grazing across his cheek.


	10. Mini Golf

After your Journey you had found a hard time of finding your place, but you were given a large chunk of Dale as payment from Bard for assisting him with the ruling of Dale, since the Dwarves all had Erebor covered. So you sat for days thinking of what to do with the massive chain of connected buildings in the corner of Dale closest to Erebor, when it finally hit you, mini golf.  
You worked tirelessly for months, only stopping for food when the Elf King himself physically carried you away from work and set you at a table he had brought from him Kingdom with matching chairs, not letting you go until you had eaten your normal 4 plates of food. Then spending the rest of the day watching you carefully and assisting when he could until he had to return for another meeting but finding his way back to your side shortly after with another meal.  
As you finished it you had informed the Company of your finished project you were nearly blown over by the lack of excitement from them. Fill had earned several cheers for an inch tall carving of Thorin in his battle armor and Kill had nearly half the Mountain in roaring cheers at his Yoyo. Hurting you deeply as Dwalin scoffed and muttered, “Waste of time.” as he reached for another mug of ale as Thorin said, “I just don’t know why you wouldn’t pick something more fitting for joining our Kingdoms in trade.” as he rubbed his forehead, passing through to the sitting room behind you to smoke his pipe and stretch out his legs. You fought out a smile as they sent the conversation in another direction as more of them passed into the sitting room, Bofur and the Princes catching your bottom lipp quivered before you bit it and quietly slipped out of the room to head back to Dale, the three of them agreeing that they at least should give it a try.  
…  
You returned, entering your massive course sitting down next to the large castle you had to paint another coat on looking down at the paint cans trying to gain the willpower to finish your task. Turning as you heard Bard walk in and give a small whistle in approval at your work, walking over and sitting down next to you, catching your saddened expression. He threw an arm around your shoulders, “What is wrong?”  
You forced out a chuckle and said, “Dwalin said my course was a waste of time, and Thorin said I should have found a better way to promote trade between Erebor and Dale.”  
Bard rubbed your back gently to comfort you as he said, “Everyone I’ve talked to in Dale has been asking for a week now about when your project would be open for them to try. Even the Dwarves will have to be impressed when they see it, especially the prizes you offer.”   
He turned as he heard another person call him away, standing and helping you to your feet placing his hands on your shoulders, “Don’t worry, they will love it. Kill and his Yoyo will be furious.” Making you giggle for a few minutes after he turned away to leave, before getting started on the painting.  
The painting had been finished as the Elf King returned, nodding approvingly, making you jump sightly as he spoke, sneaking up on you, “Impressive.” Reaching out to gently place his hands on your shoulders at your jump, “I didn’t mean to startle you.”  
You looked up at him, giving him a smile, “It’s alright, I was lost in my thoughts.”  
He smiled at you in return, “I hope I get the honors of trying out your creation, when will you open it?”  
You chuckled, “Tomorrow, at noon.” His face going stern as he remembered a meeting, you told him, “It closes at 7, but if you want I can let you in after, give you plenty of time to practice.”  
His smile growing again, “I wish I could be here at noon.” His face going serious then back to his smile again, “I think I will take you up on your offer, it would be much more enjoyable privately.” giving you a glimpse of a deep twinkle in his eyes as he spoke again, “I brought dinner, I’m not going to have to carry you again, am I?” giving you a playfully stern gaze, making you giggle causing his smile to grow again at your beaming smile.  
“I’ll go willingly.” Following the Elk King to your usual table, enjoying the meal and his conversation. He waited with you as you locked up and escorted you to your home in the inner circle in Dale, next to Bard’s, bowing his head to you as he said goodnight, wishing you luck tomorrow before leaving for his Kingdom again.  
…  
Your opening day went well, each of the citizens of Dale playing through your courses at least twice, and eagerly showing off their prizes sparking the interest of the Dwarves. Bofur and the Princes had arrived late, being the only members of the Company other than Bilbo, who had taken a shift there to help you, to show up at all, Bofur’s eye caught the tiny bow and arrow set that you had as one of your prizes and another child with a tiny intricately carved wooden axe. Fili’s eye drawn to the massive Lion stuffed animal, one of the few prizes for a perfect game along with a Horse, Bear and an Elk, several of the others being smaller versions of stuffed animals and weapons and toys, including yoyos that surpassed Kili’s and small carvings that were carefully painted of Men, Dwarf and Elf Armies paired with a set of Orc and troll carvings to fight against, placed next to the animal scarves and hats and the few animal shaped bags. Bard’s children all manning the prize booth for you as a few more Men had been hired to keep the peace in the excited attendees.  
The three spotted you as Bifur quietly joined them, trailing his brother’s strange path that day, quickly praising you on your prizes and eyeing the courses curiously. The Princes asked you how to win the prizes, making you smile as you started them on the course, explaining the rules, starting them on the empty course, the others already heading for the harder courses, handing them the score card and a pencil as they chose their clubs and balls and setting them off as Bilbo chose to enjoy the show.  
They quickly got hooked, each of them complimenting your use of drawbridges, slides, hidden holes and obstacles, including the windmill and a small Dragon that swung through the final hole, Bifur being the clear winner, choosing a medium stuffed Bear, Bofur choosing a bear hat as Fili got a mall stuffed lion and Kill chose a small wooden bow set. The four of them heading off to the next course, upping the difficulty, all staying until they reached the last course, the hardest one, each of them failing miserably but all taking their soldier sets pridefully, carrying their prizes home in their animal bags, boasting for hours to the rest of the Company and any other Dwarf they ran into, having to inform them that it had already closed but you were opening it again tomorrow at 9am, giving them nearly the full day to try the course. The Company all examining their prizes and the work you had put into them, all imagining the actual size of the best prizes for perfect games, Thorin and Dwalin were sure that they could easily win them all, both agreeing to go the next day after their meetings.  
…  
As you cleaned up the last course, collecting the last of the score sheets that had been left through the course, turning as you spotted the King, giving him as smile as you joined him, earning one in return. His eyes running over the giant courses with a smile as he spoke, glancing back to you, “So where do I start?”  
You smiled and led him to the start of the first course, handing him the proper sized club as Legolas and Tauriel chose theirs asking you to keep score, mostly so the King could stand by you as he waited for his turn again. They quickly worked through the first two courses as Tauriel and Legolas went to choose their prizes, you both followed them giving the King to eye the large variety of prizes, his gaze stopping on the giant Elk as a smirk ran across his face. You spotted his gaze and said, “Those are for getting a perfect score on all five courses.”  
The Elf King nodded as he drew in a slow breath and turned to you asking, “Can the games be paused, or must they be played continually?”  
You smiled, “I suppose they could be paused, but either I or Bilbo would have to keep hold of the cards and supervise as you played.” A smile crossing over his face as he pointed at the Elk declaring, “I am going to be the first to win one of those.” As he handed you his card, “I will start the third one tomorrow.”  
“Will you still want to play privately?”  
He gave a small nod, “Yes. For now, dinner is waiting, I had it delivered to your house this time.” Offering you his arm as Tauriel and Legolas both happily pranced around with their small bows and horse hats, earning several giggles from children along the way.  
…  
Thorin and Dwalin arrived the next day, both receiving the lowest scores yet as they could not pass the third course as they passed the maximum putt limit, barring them from continuing, sending them home with tiny prizes and swearing they would do better next time.  
…  
Each day after that, the Elf King returning for his private time, passing the third course easily and silently eyeing the fourth, examining each hole, stopping completely at the fifth hole, looking to you, “There is no hole here.”  
You called over the small Mountain he was examining, “Turn around.”  
Which he quickly did, quietly saying, “Oh! Very clever!”  
The 7th hole stumped him next as he eyed the small drawbridge trap, squatting down next to it as you called out as he drew back his hand, unsure if touching it would break the rules, “You can touch it, just don’t break anything.” He nodded as his finger gently pushed down the drawbridge to see a small wall slide out of the way and a secret hole pop open, leaning over it to try and eye where it came out, finding it exited the other side, mumbling, “So careful on the left…it crosses the bridge, opening the hole…watch the troll…alright…” as he headed for the next hole. Choosing to try the course the next day as he led you back for dinner.  
…  
Thorin and Dwalin both did marginally better the next day but still not passing the same course.  
Thranduil quickly worked through the course and once again choosing to examine the last as Thranduil and Legolas played through it, watching from several different angles, serving you another excellent dinner after as Legolas and Tauriel waged a small war with their figurines, using a small chess board to make it more challenging, setting up their own set of rules for movement for each. Thranduil had asked to come by early rather than after the shift, hoping to win and rub it in Thorin’s face at his meeting in Dale. You quickly worked out his plan in your mind, agreeing to his plan, knowing he would win it easily, agreeing to his plan, making his smile grow, kissing your knuckles as he left you for the night.  
…  
Early the Next morning he brought you a lovely breakfast as he mentally ran through his plan, sure to show you more than enough affection and caring glances through the meal as he carried on your sparce conversation, hoping to give him enough time to focus on his plan.  
His playing was much slower than the other days, leaving you, Tauriel, Legolas and Bilbo waiting anxiously as he lined up on the last hole, watching as it sank into the hole on the first shot, making the rest of you wrap him into hug causing the King to chuckle as you release him and drag him over to his prize. He held the ladder for you as you pulled down his massive Elk, reaching from the top of his head to nearly his knees. He wrapped it tightly in his arms as Legolas said, “Ada, it’s nearly time for the meeting, we need to hurry.”  
Thranduil happily took his prize from you, holding it tightly, using it to shield the two of you from Tauriel and Legolas’ gaze to kiss your cheek, shooting you a wink as he pulled away, bowing his head in his normal regal composure, “I will see you after your shift for dinner.”  
You smiled at him as he left, Bilbo trying to hide his giggles as he watched the King and his massive prize leaving the building. After he left he leaned in, “He kissed your cheek.”  
You nodded as you tacked his card on the wall with his name in big letters on the high score board with a blush still stretching across your face as Bilbo waited for you to climb off the ladder again. “He kissed your cheek!”  
You turned quickly to face him and said, “Yes, he kissed my cheek.” turning again as he followed after saying, “Should I help you pack, you’ll be moving to Mirkwood soon.” Making you roll your eyes as he burst into a fit of giggles, quietly planning his wedding gifts for you both.  
…  
Thorin was scowling in the meeting room, counting down the hours he had left to get back and try again at your game when he spotted large stuffed Elk walking into the room. A silver crown poking out above the massive antlers as Tauriel entered carrying an extra chair next to the King’s which he happily filled with his prize, patting it on the head gently before he took his seat, smirking at Thorin as he threw his left leg over his right, settling into his chair.  
Thorin let out a small growl, “You didn’t!”  
Thranduil smirked wider, “Oh, I did!”  
…  
After the meeting he secured your freedom by sending a group of his Elves who had requested jobs in your park, sending a note with them for you, asking you to head back to your house. When you returned he had his Elk seated in one of your armchairs, with a lovely lunch waiting for you with a large bouquet of flowers on the table in a gorgeous vase. Meeting you at the door taking your bag and jacket, kissing your cheek again quickly as he led you to the table. Through the meal he bored deeper into a few more personal questions he had been meaning to ask you, about your family and more about your past before joining the Company, you had met before, but weren’t close, wishing to know you completely. After dinner leading you into the sitting room, now that the armchair was full with his Elk, he lounged next to you on the couch.  
Looking at you lovingly as your conversation carried on, eventually turning into his request, “Have you considered staying in Greenwood for a short time?”  
You let out a nervous chuckle as you answered, “Last time…”  
“I apologized for that.”  
“Yes you did. That’s not what I meant.”  
He rested his hand on your hand that was resting on your curled leg, “What did you mean then?”  
“Last time I spoke with Legolas he said something about you going to Lothlorien.”  
His smile grew as he let out a small chuckle, “Yes, for two days, then I will come back, I was hoping you would like to see my Kingdom, properly this time.”  
“How long were you wanting me to stay for.” He opened his mouth and closed it too keep himself from saying forever, seeing this you spoke again, “Unless you meant a day trip, just for a few hours or so.”  
He forced out another smile as he said, “No, I hadn’t thought of the length of time, perhaps a week to start.”  
“To start?”  
The smile growing across the King’s face, “I hope you would grow to like Greenwood.”  
“Are you trying to convince me to move to your Kingdom?”  
“Perhaps.” You smiled as you quietly chuckled, looking away as you felt your cheeks start to heat up. The King gently reaching out his hand to gently place his fingers along your jaw as he leaned forward and kissed your cheek again, smiling at you as you turned to look at him, quickly closing the distance between you and kissing him gently then pulling back. His hand wrapping over your cheek as he quickly kissed you again, you kissed back and wrapped your arms around his neck as he slid closer to you, wrapping his other arm around your back as you deepened the kiss. The King pulling back as you heard a knock at your door, followed by Gloin calling out, “Never mind, Found Him!”  
Both of you chuckling as he ran his hand over your cheek, “So, will you come to Greenwood?”  
You smirked as you said, “Perhaps.” as you kissed him again quickly, making him chuckle as you pulled back. He ran his hand over your cheek whispering, “Please.” softly as he stared deeply into your eyes with that same irresistible sparkle.  
“I’ll need someone to take care of…”  
“I’ve handled it, the group of Elves I sent to you for interviews are going to manage the golf course for you, during your stay.”  
“Alright”  
Another smile spread across his face before he pulled you in for another kiss.  
…  
During his visit to Lothlorien you were greatly amused by Thorin visiting each day, his visit soon stretching over a week, then into two. As he returned with the irritation readable across his face from miles away, dropping heavily into his seat in his normal meeting in Erebor, his eyes running over to the Dwarf King who was wearing a smirk with a giant bear next to him, causing a small smile to spread across his face. After the meeting ended he quickly sent an Elf to claim your place as he slipped through the crowds, lifting you onto his shoulder and quietly carrying you away amid the laughter from the people around you as Bilbo told them, “She skipped her lunch again.” The groups of puzzled Dwarves soon bursting into relieved laughter as they went back to their games.  
The King carried you quickly to your house, thankfully the streets were still mostly empty near your house as he refused to set you down. You stared at the back of his silver long shirt sparkling as it fluttered behind him as he walked, hearing him open your door, walking through and shutting it behind him, careful not to hit your head with the door. Heading straight for the couch, pulling you off of his shoulder as he sat down, pulling you into his lap as he kissed you passionately. Continuing the kiss for a few minutes working your fingers through his hair, your body freezing as you heard something being set down in the other room. He broke the kiss and your eyes darted to the kitchen door, spotting Tauriel trying to quietly creep out of the house, whispering, “Sorry.” as she shut the front door behind her, making the King start to laugh with you quickly following. He rested his head against the back of the couch as his laughter grew and you rested your forehead against his shoulder near his neck. As your laughter stopped he curled his arms around you tightly hugging you to his chest, saying, “I am so sorry It took so long, Galadriel spent most of my visit complaining about how quickly my forest returned to it’s state, and how many spiders were sent past her lands as they fled your magic.”  
“I’m sorry.”  
He chuckled again, “You have nothing to apologize for, she is just upset her powers have waned drastically since the Ring was destroyed.” He gently starts rubbing your back as he kissed the top of your head. “We never actually got anything settled, I got too upset, I had to come back to you.”  
“So you will have to go back soon?”  
“No, Celeborn agreed to come alone, he needs a break from her as well apparently.” Making you both chuckle again, “I had lunch set up for you.”  
You pulled back and kissed him again for a moment until you pulled away again making him groan as you said, “I actually am really hungry.” Making him chuckle as he lifts you both up, setting you down gently and leading you to the table, kissing your cheek as you sat down before joining you. After your meal he insisted that after your shift you head for Greenwood for your trip, eager to get you alone without any interruptions.


	11. Muffins

When fleeing your home at the first night of rest you’d stumbled through the forest climbing the tallest tree, settling on the highest branch just to see it one more time. Inching to the edge and settling down seeing your home in flames, your cheeks soaked with tears silently weeping as another set of hands gripped the branch beside you before a blonde head came into sight as he climbed to sit beside you. His eyes moving to his left noticing a figure, his mouth hanging open as he saw your tear stained face before it turned back to the burning city pausing to take in your features unable to find the words and turning himself, eventually glancing again at you as you turned and laid back to gaze up at the stars before hearing him do the same out of curiosity.  
…  
For each time your heart had broken, each war and battle you’d faced somehow you’d manage to stumble into the others hiding spot, silently gazing into the distance then laying back to stare up at the stars.  
Through his courtship, marriage, after the birth of his Son, and losing his Wife and Father and each battle in between he’d found you. Thousands of years, no names traded, not a single word said, through the scattered corpses within the thousands of slaughtered Orcs and goblins the Elf King wove through them to find you once again perched alone on one of the ruined platforms in Dale. Silently sitting beside you as the Men, Dwarves and Elves around him looked on in silent curiosity, spreading his cape out behind him he hung his legs off the edge as you had, once again sitting silently with a hint of a smile at your heart warming presence.  
Laying back blood seeps out of your armor, “You’re bleeding!”  
You tell him, “It’s not all mine. The cuts have long since healed.”  
He lays down again beside you  
You start laughing.  
“What is so funny?”  
“What did one muffin say to the other?”  
“I don’t know.”  
“It sure is hot in here, and the other replies, Eru help me a talking muffin.”  
You both start laughing loudly, “That’s a terrible joke!” He wipes away the tears from his laughter.  
“I know.” Wiping your heated cheeks too.  
He quietly grabbed your hand whispers “I love you.”  
“I know.” Making him chuckle


	12. Oropher vs. Squirrels

I always Imagine Thranduil’s father Oropher declaring war on squirrels… now hear me out… In my mind he’s super obsessed with jewels, and Thranduil as a child wanting some more of his fathers attention takes some jewels and hides them…  
…  
Oropher : “Son, have you seen my jewels, they were on my desk last I saw them.”  
Thranduil : –petting and feeding a group of squirrels he found abandoned as babies and raised– “No … –trying not to smile– … do you want to feed my squirrels with me?”  
Oropher : “Not now son I have to find them” –walks away, muttering to himself– “where could they be”   
Thranduil :–trying not to cry– …ok…  
…  
After weeks for no reason at all he assumes the squirrels must have told the other squirrels about the jewels and they’ve stolen them, this leads to him accusing them and saying that all squirrels are banned from his kingdom and all elves are told to capture and interrogate any squirrel they find…  
Oropher : “….Furthermore any and all squirrels found should be captured and interrogated to the whereabouts of my jewels” – walks off–  
Elves : –combinations of eye rolling, dropped jaws, and face palms and mutterings of   
“We live in a forest, squirrels live in the forest, they outnumber us by the thousands, how does he imagine we can manage that.”…  
“I should have stayed in Lothlorien/Rivendell” and   
“He can exile me in not chasing squirrels”  
So all the elves refuse to follow this order so he tries it on his own, by now all the squirrels are PISSED… so naturally the squirrels invade the castle and just keep attacking him, no matter where he goes they keep going after him, Lothlorien, Rivendell, Gondor and Rohan included. So I imagine this great King of Greenwood being reduced to a giant trembling elf flinching at the slightest breeze or movement , eyes darting around wildly.  
By now after hundreds of years and several failed attempts on Orophers’ part to make amends with the squirrels failed, they had decided they would never forgive him and they and their defendants should always remind him of his offenses against them and that squirrels are not to be crossed, and Tranduil decided to keep the jewels hidden in the hopes one day his father would see how much more precious he was to him than those jewels could ever be. (Elves being immortal age slowly, so in this story Thranduil is still considered a small child, going from being about 4 to around 7)  
Then one day he receives an invitation to the birth of the next Dwarf child in the line of Durin, so the flinching King ; who has now decided to travel by hiding himself in a trunk and having his guards carry him from kingdom to kingdom so he could at least be seen in some Kingly manner before they tiny furry army spotted him and launched another attack ; climbed once again into the trunk as his son held the lid open whilst trying not to smile until he’d settled himself then latching it shut, triggering the guards nearby to lift their hidden King and begin their trek to the mountain whilst Prince Thranduil smiling to himself as all the squirrels followed them through the winding forest running from branch to branch occasionally gently using them as bridges in the greater distances until they reached the clearing when they sat motionless and decided to remain in their trees where they were safe at the sight of the large birds that lived there.  
After walking for a good twenty minutes Prince Thranduil stops, the guards halting and moving their hands towards their weapons trying to access why the Prince had stopped.  
Guard: “My Lord…” –King Oropher moves slightly– “…Yes…What is it?…”  
Thranduil : –shuts his eyes, takes a deep breath, releasing it, then reopening his eyes– “Father, we have reached a clearing the squirrels have not followed us”  
King Oropher : “Are you certain….”  
Thranduil : “Yes”  
King Oropher : “….then let me out…please”  
Thranduil’s head darted to the box, he would never be comfortable with the notion of his father, such an amazing swordsman and quite proud and boastful elf ever saying please to anyone, something quite unheard of before his unnecessary and lonely war…those years in that box and constant attacks by such sweet, adorable and proud creatures had changed him to see that his size and rank made him no greater than them or any other creature he had faced since….  
The trunk is set down, the King climbs out, stretches and straightened his clothes and hair then as if seeing him for the first time he glances at his son, smiles, places his hand on his shoulder smiles deeper and wider, chuckles to himself and pulls his son into the deepest hug any elf had ever given, publicly or privately, Thranduil freezes for a moment then returns the hug with the same roughness, burying himself deeper into his fathers embrace, the guards looking on as they hear him mumble, “My precious son, how you’ve grown, how much I’ve missed of your life….  
–then stopping as his last memory of his son comes crashing back to him, his son on the floor legs crossed, playing with his little squirrels, finally noticing the dirt under his nails, the rose leaves tangled in his hair and the dirt stains from his knees down to his toes in the otherwise spotless room. Then thinks to the only place in Greenwood where roses are grown that the Prince is allowed to go, the garden his late mother had planted and he himself and his son had maintained, one of the only places the squirrels would give him peace, still watching him but never attacking him there for fear of harming their dead friends garden. King Orophers’ smile grew deeper yet, and somehow managed to squeeze his son tighter to himself again, holding this for a long moment before releasing him, keeping him at arms length with hands on his shoulders smile never fading.–  
“I love you son, I am sorry for what I have stolen from you…I should have seen, so long ago, you are worth more to me than any jewels, I should have left it alone, and never had accused such sincere and kind creatures especially so dear to you, learn from me please son, I shall do everything I can to mend what I have damaged, though I doubt I ever could, as I did so without cause….–runs his fingers through his sons hair, pulling out a leaf tangled in his hair and chuckles again before releasing his son– “We should continue before we lose the light”  
As they walked none of the others had noticed that the king had done as he had always done, placed the leaf he pulled from his sons hair into his pocket later to be added to his collection hidden in his private chamber, which were all kept in a large wooden trunk with a giant stag etched into the lid next to a smaller one with a rabbit etched into it, for every day he had known his dearest wife she had never managed a day without returning to him without some sort of leaf or flower tangled into her gorgeous flowing hair, one of the countless reasons he loved her, and something he thanked Eru and all the Valar for daily that her only child had inherited from her….  
The remainder of the visit the King spent I such a relaxed state it made the Dwarves uneasy, though they’d never admit it as if it might be some strange plot to throw them off a possible attack, within this visit he had decided even if this war could never end he would use this to mend bridges between these Dwarves and his people, if not just for himself but also for every Dwarf and Elf child that could ever fall in any such senseless war as the one he had triggered in such blind greed and ignorance…  
…..  
Flash forward Prince is now King and father himself, Greenwood is now Mirkwood, Erebor had been lost and reclaimed, (Durins live)  
It’s another meeting with King Thorin and his Company, and once again it is interrupted by another screaming match between Dain and King Thorin and the other Dwarf leaders attending the meeting over some small detail in a possible contract between them each judging their own image being effected with every phrase in the contract before King Thorin ends the meeting by shouting and telling them all to just write their own drafts and they will just compare and combine them until they all agree on one.  
Thorin : “I apologize again, I had hoped this would have been a quick decision, but alas…–his voice fades out as he lets out a deep breath while staring at a distant wall–  
Thranduil : "Ahh no problem at all, at least you haven’t waged a war against squirrels as my father had” – tilting his head slightly to the side as he said this trying to hide his smirk before finishing his drink–  
–all of the Company and King Thorin all jerk their heads toward him and say in unison– “What now? War on SQUIRRELS?”  
–Thranduil’s smiles deeply and turns to the Dwarves, leans in slightly– “You mean to say you’ve never heard this story before?”  
–They all shake their heads no as Thranduil’s smile grew deeper than they had ever seen before drawing a deep breath and starting the story proving what a mischievous child he was and how his prank had changed his father and how the other elves had seen him–  
Thorin : –hand over his eyes, rubbing his temple slightly– “So you’re saying your father waged war on squirrels….you share a home how did he not see that ending badly?”  
Thranduil : –still smiling– “He was otherwise distracted by his greed and the beauty of his jewels.”  
Thorin : “ So you never returned the jewels?”  
Thranduil : “No, I returned to my room one day and they had been fastened into the hilt of a pair of daggers he had left for me.”  
Bilbo : “Did the squirrels ever forgive him?”  
Thranduil : “Eventually, yes.”  
Thorin : “So the alliance between our kingdoms all started with squirrels…I need something to eat.” –stands up, walks towards the door shaking his head slightly mumbling to himself in Kuhzdul—  
Within the next two days all the Dwarves knew the story and roared in laughter at the thought of Elves running from such tiny yet ferocious creatures, and slowly but surely the Dwarves had started approaching the Elves hoping to get another story of the tiny Prince and his devious antics…


	13. Password

Thinking of doing a modern version of this, stretching it into a small series maybe.  
…  
Thranduil was mentally cursing each every Dwarf who had spent the last two hours trying to tear apart his suggestions for the new trade and border patrol agreements. You quickly slipped your hand into your pocket grabbing a small card and slipping it into the King’s hands he was holding behind his back and walking away without him noticing you. Instinctually his hand folded around it, he paused his steps and inspected the small card in his hands, simply reading, “The password is Hopscotch.” With a Rune on the backside he recognized as the Durin crest but with bunny ears behind it.  
His mind now fully redirected on what the card could mean. He found his was to the Royal floor, heading for Gloin who was closest to him, starting up a small conversation throwing in Hopscotch casually, after no response and Gloin had excused himself to check on Gimli he headed for Balin next, no luck there either. After he was called away by his brother he spotted the Princes walking in, Kili headed for Tauriel who was reading in the corner as Fili went to greet the waiting King.  
Fili, “King Thranduil.” bowing his head slightly. They had a short conversation and when he slipped the password in Fili smirked, as they finished and he heard Dwalin calling him he glanced around whispering to the King, “Didn’t know you were a member.” slipping a lollipop out of his pocket and handing it to him before he turned and left.  
King Thranduil headed back for his room he was given for his weeklong stay in Erebor, closing the door behind him and inspecting the lollipop, whispering to himself, “What did I just join?”  
His fingers finding a hidden note wrapped around the wooden stick in the lollipop, unwrapping it and reading, “Draw 12 pictures of a boar and leave them behind the statue of a tree in the back row of the library after 5pm.”  
His eyes squinting as he glanced at the note, re-reading it. Taking in a deep breath as he walked over to the desk in his room, whispering, “Only one way to find out.” sitting down and completing the orders, then slipping into the library and hiding them in the designated spot, seeing the large stack already there and slipping back out to his room.


	14. Private Practice

Once you had been singled out as the only female in Thorin’s Company after his discussion with the Dwarf King you had been led to a small secluded practice field near the Royal Wing.  
King Thranduil had been facing away from you in a loose white shirt stopping mid thigh without his crown, wielding his dual swords and practicing against a training dummy, informing the Guard to leave the two of you not assuming you as a threat to him, the Guard eyeing you up and down, his eyes widening after finally inspecting you as he left and took his place at the end of the hall. The King turned in your direction though kept his eyes on his swords admiring them as he spoke to you, “Why should I release you and your Company?”  
You smirk, “Logically, you have no reason to.” His eyes dart up and he finally gets a good look at you. You were barely taller than the Dwarves. Your long black curly black hair with a part laying across the left side of your face twisting behind your ear which had a distinct point, revealing your Half Elf status, your bright purple eyes, slender face with three cuts and a bruise on your cheek and your slightly pointed canine teeth that showed as you spoke again. “This is a dragon we are talking about, you’d be foolish indeed to assume it would end well for you should we go free.”  
Thranduil narrowed his eyes at you, “How does Thorin Oakesheild expect your small group of vagabonds to best a dragon?”  
You smirk again, “You seem to be forgetting the sheer stubbornness of Dwarves and especially Hobbits.”  
The King tilting his head in confusion at you, before he could react you had ran to him jumped up, wrapped your legs around his neck and tossed him a good ten feet while disarming him. He landed firmly on his back letting out a groan as he landed, quickly sitting up, shoving his hair that had fallen over his face and turning back to see you inspecting his swords. He jumped back to his feet and wiped himself off and walked back closer to you. You twisted his swords and offered them back to him hilt up. He took them from you gently and quickly sheathed them again as he gave you a quick nervous smile, the shock showing through his eyes. He stood there awkwardly staring at you, opening and closing his mouth a few times, before taking a deep breath, stepping back and walking in a small circle before facing you again, straightening himself back to his former confident pose though his eyes still had a slight hint of fear. Testing this you reached up and fixed his hair, he flinched slightly as you lifted your hand but relaxed a bit as your fingers slid through his hair.  
He swallowed again as he searched for words before stepping back a step and calling for the Guard from before who quickly entered and stood a foot away from the King, “Take my new guest to the Royal Wing, to the Silver Room, Then send the Dwarves up as well, See to it Thorin is given the Blue Room, Then have a dinner prepared for my Guests.” he turns back and looks at you, essentially blocking you from the Guards’ view, “You looked Hungry.”  
You give him another smirk and leaned closer to him, causing the King to swallow again, “Starving.” before you stepped around him and followed the Guard, leaving the stunned King alone.


	15. Reading with the King

You had been given free reign over any book in the Mirkwood Library after Erebor was reclaimed. The King had found a kindered soul in you, you had taken back your old home but were allowed to visit anytime.  
The first few times the Elves would watch you closely remembering your last visit, and you tried your best to stay out of the way. The Elven King only finding out about your visits after you had left, hoping to borrow the books but they would not allow any books to leave the Library unless the King called for them, he had hoped to have prepared a small meal for you and share a conversation with you while you were there, hoping perhaps to convince you to stay for a short while, deepening the blow when he was told they had forbidden you to borrow the books. He ordered the guards to inform him next time you arrived.  
But the next time he merely happened upon you by chance, curled up in some awkward position as you smiled down at the book you were reading. Drawing his curiousity he quietly moved behind you and leaned over the chair, you felt his hair slide over the chair as he tried to figure out what had made you smile. You glances up at the King, watching a small smile form across his face as he read the words off the pages, until he caught your glance and slid back and stood by your side bowing his head to you before offering you a small snack break before you went back to reading, the King joining you in a larger chair by your side with a book he had been wanting to read for quite a while.  
Over the next few visits he would stumble across you, catching you staring intently at the pages in suspense to smiling widely at the pages admiring you before joining you again.  
The next time he spotted you from the distance, hoping to see you smiling again, but his heart breaking as he saw your cheeks covered with tears, your eyes a slight shade of pink with your sleeves coated with the tears you wiped away. He quickly walked to your side and read through the page, the hero had just been killed, quite brutally, one of his favorite books he would read when he was hating himself, to force the pain he was feeling to the surface. Wondering what would have led you to that book of all the hundreds of thousands to choose from.  
Then he quickly suggested an outdoor picnic, gently shutting the book before you and setting it on a table on the end far away from you before offering his hand and escorting you to his Kitchen to pack for the picnic. Offering several suggestions as he hurried around you as you stared at the ground before you nodding gently at his suggestions, forcing his heart down a bit more as each tear kept rolling down.  
Showing you to a small clearing where his Giant Elk and its children roamed freely filled with flowers with a good view of the western side of his Kingdom over the treetops, including the butterflies that live above them.  
Thranduil set out the blanket and the picnic as you quietly settled down and slowly filled your small plate as the King gazed at you concerned.  
You drew in a shallow breath, “I’m fine, Taule.”  
He smiled at your nickname for him, “That book…I only read it when I want to punish myself.” Glancing at you hoping that wasn’t why you had read it.  
“I’ve read love stories, comedies, and poetry lately, I usually slip in a drama or a tragic novel to balance things out, at least one for every ten books.”  
“I must admit I am not overly fond of seeing you cry.”  
You chuckled quietly as you glanced up at him, “Well I would hope not.” Making him smile back at you. “This is a nice picnic, thank you.” His face dropping as you stood suddenly, but he smiled again as he saw you rubbing his Giant Elks head, who had brought his little ones to meet you, all four rubbing their faces against you, until you had given them enough hugs to their liking and they settled in for a nap around your picnic, their Father curling up beside them. The King watched you quietly as you smiled at them and walked over to them and knelt down in front of him, facing away and leaning back into his chest, settling down as he slowly wrapped his arms around you as you gazed at the sunset and watching as the stars popped out one by one. You sat quietly for a short while until you stretched up and kissed his cheek, taking him by suprise, causing him to look down at you, his eyes searching your face as if for answers to some unknown question. He trailed his fingers down your cheek before leaning down as your lips met his again, as he cupped your cheek and drew you in closer, breaking apart when the Great Elk rose and tapped his foot to signal his little ones it was time to move on and find food. Both chuckling quietly until you whispered, “It’s not so bad. At least you know how to lift my spirits again next time I choose a sad book.” Making him chuckle as he trailed his fingers over your lips and cheek again, “Or you can just skip reading the sad book.” Before kissing you again.


	16. Roar of the Mighty Hobbit

Being able to roar like a dragon, and finding yourself and the dwarves locked in Mirkwood dungeon.  
You whispered to Thorin in Khuzdul, “You’re going to get us locked up aren’t you?”  
He grunted in return as he was led to the King and the rest of you were taken to the dungeons. You were locked in your cell when you see Thorin being led to his own cell, he grunted at you with a defeated look on his face, he was going to try to prove you wrong but once again you were right. You stopped the guard that led him as he walked back, speaking to him in Sindarin, “Excuse me, is there any way I can speak to the King?”  
The guard scoffed in return before replying “The guard doesn’t have time for the likes of you, beardless dwarf!!”  
Ok that was it…you thought to yourself, “I AM A HOBBIT!!! You won’t take me to see him I will bring him here!!!!” You switched to Khuzdul and shouted, “Cover your ears lads!!!”  
Dwalin quickly followed your orders as he shouted in the common tongue, “Now you’ve done it!!” As you cupped your hands around your mouth and let out a large guttral dragon roar that traveled through the Kingdom, the guards quickly signaling to the King where the sound was coming from, and he quickly sprinted down to the dungeons and stopped when he joined the side of the stunned Elf Guard still staring open mouthed at you, trembling slightly at the sheer volume of the roar that had just come from your tiny body. You smirked at the guard before turning to the King staring at you with his mouth slightly open, “Your Majesty I was wondering if I might have a word with you.”  
The King nodded his head as he ordered the cell open and held his hand out to say after you as he turned and stared at his guard still frozen in place trying to figure out what happened as the Dwarves all burst into laughter. You had managed to terrify the King and the Elves into giving you what you liked, freeing the Dwarves and agreeing to aid you after should the mountain come under attack. The King taking your word that you would return his jewels, not wishing to know what your fate would be, should he state he didn’t trust you.


	17. Tattoo

After his short lived interrogation with Thorin, Thranduil had arranged for you all to be bathed and fed. As your bath had ran long by his standards he went to see what was he problem. As he entered he got a full glimpse of all the Dwarves naked and drying off, quickly averting his eyes as his eyebrow rose, unwillingy stopping on you. Standing with your back to him, obviously female by your feminine curves, too slim to be a Dwarf, his eyes slowly ran over you as you brushed your fingers through your long black curly hair. The Dwarves must have hidden you from sight as you were in his Throne Room, he would not have missed you otherwise. Suddenly his eyes wandered past your bottom and over your thighs stopping at what he assumed was a scar until he caught the details, obviously a tattoo, between your body and the light pink tattoo he felt his arousal growing, turning as Thorin spotted his presence, none of them noticing him before.   
All of the Dwarves turned as he headed back through the door saying, “I was not aware there was a woman with you.” His eyes roaming back into the room spotting you turn, covering your chest with your arms, giving him a view of your full chest and your purple eyes. The image of you burned through his entire body, quickening his pace to his room to handle himself before dinner.  
You all chuckled as he left, you turned back to the water to start pulling on your clothes as you said, “Wonder what his look was about.”  
Bofur flexed and said, “Just jealous he’s not as well built as us Dwarves.”  
You chuckled as Kili nudged his brother before he shot you a smirk saying, “Possibly might have something to do with the deer tattooed under your arse!”  
Thorin and Dwalin both growled as they noticed he could have seen you, You playfully pushed him back into the bath with your foot as you giggled, shaking your head at his joke. Thorin stepped closer to you and whispered, “If he did see it, don’t give him any thought on it being a marker for him to claim you as his.”  
You raised your eyebrow at him with a smirk, “I’m sure the Elf King would never assume such things. All the same, if it makes you feel better I’ll take a swing at him if he tries to keep me from leaving with you.”  
Causing a smirk to run over his face in return as he shook his head and went back to dressing, the other Dwarves all joking on how startling it must have been for the King to walk in just then, Bofur still going on praising the Dwarves but also you, all agreeing that you would have been the biggest shock even without the tattoo. Through your short stay the King had to fight to keep his eyes off of you and spent more time in his room then he had in the past month.


	18. Walkie Talkie Heart, Didn't Say Stop

Walkie Talkie Heart  
Imagine you can place your hand on your heart and your One can hear you speak and your heartbeat.  
Thranduil, after a long day going out on his balcony to look at the moon, enjoying the silence then he hears your heartbeat echoing in his chest and a soft whisper, “I Miss You.”

Didn’t say stop  
Every time you walk In the Kings view or sit in one of his meetings he won’t stop staring at you and shooting you loving glances.  
One day you whisper into his mind, “You’re staring again, Your Majesty.”  
His eyebrow twitches as he forces his eyes off you as you pass through the room, then he hears your whisper again, “I didn’t say stop.” Making his smile grow.


	19. Will you help me?

You had found the ring and had saved Bilbo from Gollum without him noticing you’d found anything.  
You managed your way through Mirkwood but were taken for interrogation by the King.  
You spent his interaction with Thorin watching the King, he turns to you and asks, “You are watching me very intently little elf.”  
You, “Can I speak to you?”  
Thranduil, “Speak.”  
You, “Alone.”  
Thorin, “Don’t promise him anything.”  
You, “I have nothing to promise, I have no contract and will get no reward for my part in your journey.” All the dwarves and Bilbo turn at this and Thranduil’s head tilts in confusion, why would you have joined them at all.  
Thorin, “I…”  
You, “Don’t Thorin.” You turn to face the King again who straightens his head back and tells the guards to take the Dwarves and Bilbo into the hall.  
Thranduil, “There, what is so important you wanted to speak to me alone.” He said as he turned to climb back up the stairs to sit back on his throne.  
You, “I found the ring.” He halts at this and turns back and walks back to you. “They don’t know, I found it in a goblin city past Rivendell.”  
Thranduil, “Why are you telling me this?”  
You, “Because….I’m terrified and I need help. Will you help me?”  
Thranduil, “What happens if I don’t?”  
You, “If you try to take it or hurt me or imprison me, I will put it on, and he will know just where to find me, and wave after wave of Orcs will come flooding into your Kingdom. The spiders have found there way in easily enough.” His eyes now flowing with rage and fear as his breath quickened and he clenched his jaw as he looked to his son who had stepped forward to his fathers side. “I don’t want to threaten you, if you won’t help me at least let me go, but i will do it if I am forced to.”  
Thranduil, “What of the Company of Dwarves?”  
You, “I will get you your jewels.” His face softening at this though his shoulders were still stiff and he slowly unclenched his fists he was holding behind his back to shield his anger from you.  
Thranduil, “I will let you and the Dwarves go, though you will be fed and well rested first, when you leave I will send word to Lord Celeborn and Elrond about the ring, my army will not be enough.” He leans in closer to you, and smirks. “Do not ever threaten me again.”  
You smirk in return, “Don’t lie, you like being ordered around. Must be hard being King all the time.” And you tap him on the tip of his nose quickly before he could stop you. His eyes opening wider at this, his face turning pink a little as his son tried to hide his smile. He turns and calls for the group to be taken to eat.  
You, “Oh and I’m going to tell them I punched you.” He turns around again and raises an eyebrow. “Dwarves.” You added a shrug causing him to smirk.  
Thranduil replied teasingly, “Shall I fetch something to wrap my arm in to feign an injury?”  
You smile wider, “I would never hit you in the arm, Your Majesty.” Turning to join your group, him looking down at the ground as if searching for the answer, Legolas chuckling quietly as his fathers eyes shoot up and he lets out a large gasp. You turn back to him still walking backwards to the door, “I wouldn’t hit you there either, your son is far to handsome to be an only child for much longer.” Giving him a wink before turning again, Legolas now laughing loudly, almost doubled over, Thranduil quickly wraps his arms over his chest as he slowly walking to his sons side, feigning pain. The Dwarves eyes all go wide at the sight of the laughing Prince now on his knees still laughing loudly as the King held his chest then their eyes go back to you and you tell them in Khuzdul, “Hit him. He’s having food prepared.“  
The King faces the group and announces loudly, “Dinner will start in a short while go get cleaned up.” The Dwarves all start to follow the guard leading them to their rooms, patting you on the back, as you lock eyes with the King as he smirks and shoots you a wink in return before lifting his laughing son off the floor.


	20. Indifference

In a low mumble from behind the large hands running over his face, the Elf King stated in Quenya, “This is why I hate all Dwar

In a low mumble from behind the large hands running over his face, the Elf King stated in Quenya,  _“This is why I hate all Dwarves and their allies.”_

His hands lowered at the only female voice in the group, belonging to the half Elf, in a somewhat pleased tone, “You hate me?”

The icy blue eyes in his face reflected the light from the floating lanterns around his throne when they finally had noticed the web coated leaf eared woman standing a clear head above the rest of the scowling Dwarves. Curiously they watched the straightening of the King marking his readying to back step on his comment at the unnecessary insult he had cast at the innocent woman. In a firm velvety tone he stated, “ _I do not hate, you_.”

A soft giggle came from the woman who gave a small elated bounce as she repeated in a near musical tone, “ _You said you hated me.”_

His eyes narrowed as he stated,  _“To be precise I said I hate all Dwarves and their allies.”_

Her head nodded as her smile grew and she responded in the same pleased tone,  _“Including me.”_

_“Not including you!”_

She giggled again and replied,  _“You do know the opposite of Love is Indifference?”_

His brow rose as the guards in the room all gave her a curious once over.  _“What?”_

 _“The opposite of Love is indifference. Meaning, you cannot hate anyone without first loving them. And you said you hated me.”_  Her smile grew as she giggled again. A smile inched on the guard’s faces spotting the stunned agape expression from their King who’s mind was scrambling for a response.

His eyes narrowed again as his mouth closed through his sharp inhale before he stated,  _“I am indifferent to Dwarves then.”_

_“But still not me.”_

His brow twitched again as he added,  _“I do not know you, therefore I am indifferent to you as well.”_

She giggled clearly again drawing another twitch from the King’s brow while the Dwarves bit back their pleased expressions at her clear irritating conversation she was having with the normally stoic King.  _“You don’t know them either past Thorin I gather. And yet you have such an impressive bond with them at first glance. To love so deeply in an instant.”_

Through a shaky inhale he taped his fingers on the arm of his throne and along his tall staff before he repeated,  _“I am indifferent, to your Dwarves and yourself.”_

_“That’s not what your eyes say.”_

A clear snort came from the lone blonde Elf guarding your group that he soon tried to mask with a breaking stoic expression,  _“My eyes say nothing!”_

_“But they’re shimmering with adoration.”_

_“They are not! My eyes do not shimmer!”_

Another giggle sounded drawing the King to his feet,  _“You clearly do not have the best point of view to comment on that. All I’ve seen since we entered is shimmering adoration.”_

Sharply inhaling he ordered,  _“This group clearly has not recovered from their time lost in the forest, take them to their rooms!”_

A firm hand from the trembling blonde guard turned the giggling woman who glanced at the Dwarves and repeated in the common tongue,  _“The King said he loves me.”_

Another snort came from the blonde and other trembling Elves leading them to their rooms as the King shouted back, “I DID NOT!”

With a glance back the King’s eyes caught the woman’s as she called back in Quenya,  _“Don’t be afraid to fall, I promise I’ll catch you!”_

In another agape frozen moment the King watched the group pass through the doors after her momentary wink that was broken off by the closing of the thick doors that left the stunned and rapidly blinking King to sit back on his chair staring at the sealed doors. A clear breaking of chuckles from the guards around him forced his eyes to roll and his body to lean forward, now propped up by his elbows meeting his knees as he rubbed his face and mumbled to himself under his breath. 

Remaining fixed like that until he raised his eyes again at the timid throat clearing of the surprising appearance of the Hobbit before him. Fidgeting his fingers over the buttons on his coat Bilbo timidly spoke, “Your Majesty. Um, I was in the bathroom, would you um, be able to tell me where my group went?”

Thranduil inhaled and rose again, moving to the Hobbit’s side as he stated, “I will take you.”

After the short walk they had met up his eyes landed on the source of the giggle ahead of him, that continued through the question, “Miss me already?”

The group chuckled as they stood in their assigned doorways to their rooms while Thranduil gently patted Bilbo’s back leading him to an unclaimed doorway and to say, “I was simply escorting your friend to your group.”

A forced stern expression through a curt nod formed on her face as she stated flatly, “Of course.” Her eyes shifted to the Hobbit and she stated while the King passed the group heading to his own room, “Bilbo, you missed it, the King said he loves me.”

Thranduil’s shoulders tensed as he forced himself to keep walking as he gritted back, “I said no such thing.”

Bilbo smirked catching the woman’s wink as he stated, “His eyes did have a certain glimmer when he spotted you.”

Thranduil turned briefly, “My eyes-!” the icy stern gaze landed on the chuckling group before shifting to the woman whose own eyes warmly reflected the lantern light around her causing a softening of his gaze, only to be forced back as he turned and continued his walk, “Rest well, Company of Thorin Oakensheild! I will speak with you in the morning.”

“I’ll be counting the hours, Your Majesty.” Her eyes rose to meet the eyes of the blonde guard who snorted from behind his hand once again as he leaned against the redheaded Elleth’s back, also covering her mouth to muffle her bubbling laughter. In a shared glance with their teary eyes she nodded and stated as the King turned the next corner, “Yup, he loves me.” before entering her own room. Going to lay down on the bed after thorougly scrubbing herself clean through the night until breakfast. A meal she was placed on the King’s left where he firmly kept his gaze through the discussion and meal at the baffling Elleth.

ves and their allies.”

 

His hands lowered at the only female voice in the group, belonging to the half Elf, in a somewhat pleased tone, “You hate me?”

 

The icy blue eyes in his face reflected the light from the floating lanterns around his throne when they finally had noticed the web coated leaf eared woman standing a clear head above the rest of the scowling Dwarves. Curiously they watched the straightening of the King marking his readying to back step on his comment at the unnecessary insult he had cast at the innocent woman. In a firm velvety tone he stated, “I do not hate, you.”

 

A soft giggle came from the woman who gave a small elated bounce as she repeated in a near musical tone, “You said you hated me.”

 

His eyes narrowed as he stated, “To be precise I said I hate all Dwarves and their allies.”

 

Her head nodded as her smile grew and she responded in the same pleased tone, “Including me.”

 

“Not including you!”

 

She giggled again and replied, “You do know the opposite of Love is Indifference?”

 

His brow rose as the guards in the room all gave her a curious once over. “What?”

 

“The opposite of Love is indifference. Meaning, you cannot hate anyone without first loving them. And you said you hated me.” Her smile grew as she giggled again. A smile inched on the guard’s faces spotting the stunned agape expression from their King who’s mind was scrambling for a response.

 

His eyes narrowed again as his mouth closed through his sharp inhale before he stated, “I am indifferent to Dwarves then.”

 

“But still not me.”

 

His brow twitched again as he added, “I do not know you, therefore I am indifferent to you as well.”

 

She giggled clearly again drawing another twitch from the King’s brow while the Dwarves bit back their pleased expressions at her clear irritating conversation she was having with the normally stoic King. “You don’t know them either past Thorin I gather. And yet you have such an impressive bond with them at first glance. To love so deeply in an instant.”

 

Through a shaky inhale he taped his fingers on the arm of his throne and along his tall staff before he repeated, “I am indifferent, to your Dwarves and yourself.”

 

“That’s not what your eyes say.”

 

A clear snort came from the lone blonde Elf guarding your group that he soon tried to mask with a breaking stoic expression, “My eyes say nothing!”

 

“But they’re shimmering with adoration.”

 

“They are not! My eyes do not shimmer!”

 

Another giggle sounded drawing the King to his feet, “You clearly do not have the best point of view to comment on that. All I’ve seen since we entered is shimmering adoration.”

 

Sharply inhaling he ordered, “This group clearly has not recovered from their time lost in the forest, take them to their rooms!”

 

A firm hand from the trembling blonde guard turned the giggling woman who glanced at the Dwarves and repeated in the common tongue, “The King said he loves me.”

 

Another snort came from the blonde and other trembling Elves leading them to their rooms as the King shouted back, “I DID NOT!”

 

With a glance back the King’s eyes caught the woman’s as she called back in Quenya, “Don’t be afraid to fall, I promise I’ll catch you!”

 

In another agape frozen moment the King watched the group pass through the doors after her momentary wink that was broken off by the closing of the thick doors that left the stunned and rapidly blinking King to sit back on his chair staring at the sealed doors. A clear breaking of chuckles from the guards around him forced his eyes to roll and his body to lean forward, now propped up by his elbows meeting his knees as he rubbed his face and mumbled to himself under his breath.

 

Remaining fixed like that until he raised his eyes again at the timid throat clearing of the surprising appearance of the Hobbit before him. Fidgeting his fingers over the buttons on his coat Bilbo timidly spoke, “Your Majesty. Um, I was in the bathroom, would you um, be able to tell me where my group went?”

 

Thranduil inhaled and rose again, moving to the Hobbit’s side as he stated, “I will take you.”

 

After the short walk they had met up his eyes landed on the source of the giggle ahead of him, that continued through the question, “Miss me already?”

 

The group chuckled as they stood in their assigned doorways to their rooms while Thranduil gently patted Bilbo’s back leading him to an unclaimed doorway and to say, “I was simply escorting your friend to your group.”

 

A forced stern expression through a curt nod formed on her face as she stated flatly, “Of course.” Her eyes shifted to the Hobbit and she stated while the King passed the group heading to his own room, “Bilbo, you missed it, the King said he loves me.”

 

Thranduil’s shoulders tensed as he forced himself to keep walking as he gritted back, “I said no such thing.”

 

Bilbo smirked catching the woman’s wink as he stated, “His eyes did have a certain glimmer when he spotted you.”

 

Thranduil turned briefly, “My eyes-!” the icy stern gaze landed on the chuckling group before shifting to the woman whose own eyes warmly reflected the lantern light around her causing a softening of his gaze, only to be forced back as he turned and continued his walk, “Rest well, Company of Thorin Oakensheild! I will speak with you in the morning.”

 

“I’ll be counting the hours, Your Majesty.” Her eyes rose to meet the eyes of the blonde guard who snorted from behind his hand once again as he leaned against the redheaded Elleth’s back, also covering her mouth to muffle her bubbling laughter. In a shared glance with their teary eyes she nodded and stated as the King turned the next corner, “Yup, he loves me.” before entering her own room. Going to lay down on the bed after thorougly scrubbing herself clean through the night until breakfast. A meal she was placed on the King’s left where he firmly kept his gaze through the discussion and meal at the baffling Elleth.


	21. Indifference Pt 2

Hours ticked by as the curious twitch in the Elf King’s brow continued. His eyes locked on the far wall of his bedchamber where he was currently locked inside. With the battle fully ended months back he found himself bedridden at the order of the same Elleth he had gained this injury in the defense of. The final set of spider nests in the forest were to be cleared, a task he specifically ordered to be kept from you. But with his trip to request your company for a small lunch he had prepared earlier for a picnic with you he discovered you had tagged along urging his race to dress for battle and race on the back of his Elk after you. 

Since the day you’d met he couldn’t help but mingle his day with yours as often as he could manage in his busy schedule, a fact not missed by the Dwarves or his own kin placing you with an apartment next to his to ensure your station as a council member for both his and Thorin’s aid was well established. Though even without the title or job he would have ensured you were fully cared for, unable to allow any harm or even exhaustion weigh on you at all, catering to you completely even when he didn’t realize that was his reasoning for doting on you.

Halfway between blocking you from an attack and trying to catch himself from his less than graceful fall from the branch the beast had snapped from under you his leg had been badly fractured in an attempt to cushion your fall and the now scowling King was fully at your mercy after you led the group back to the castle and nearly had to tie him down to his bed to ensure his healing. 

For a few measly hours he would skim over the papers you would split up for his viewing between your enforced naps and meals against his arguments before your nightly checklist he would pass onto you and his Son to ensure everything was well taken care of in his absence. Something he knew he wouldn’t have to worry about as his people had already taken to you and could clearly fend for themselves for a couple weeks, but your absence stabbed at him, and he greatly wished to order you to remain at his side for the rest of his enforced bed rest he would surely expand simply to keep you at his side. But here he sat, counting down the minutes until you would enter again with his final meal and the list for the following day.

Finally the door opened and he settled back, flattening his pillow to rest his head back to stare up at the ceiling once again while his fingers crossed over his chest tapping his fingers to the sound of your footsteps across the floor.

_“You can stop pretending you haven’t been staring at the door Your Majesty.”_

His head raised up causing his loose braid to shift once again as he held a stunned expression,  _“I was doing nothing of the sort. Trying to name all the forms of trees in the forest without consulting my notes.”_ His head dropped back again onto his pillow as you set the tray of food onto the bedside table with a soft scoff.

 _“Oh yes, and my Naneth’s third Cousin is an Elk named Shirley.”_  His head turned to face you as you curled your leg to sit at his side, signaling his time to sit up and shift onto the large pile of pillows you formed behind him as Legolas settled more under his heavily wrapped leg and its metal brace under his thick fur.

Exhaling slowly he eyed your face as you settled the tray onto his lap as he thanked you while you stood to fetch him a napkin from his own kitchen. Turning his eyes to the smirking prince at his side he raised his brow once again to ask,  _“Something humorous Little Leaf?”_

Legolas chuckled passing him the stack of notes he had asked for, along with his latest list the King looked over through his Son’s report on the meeting from that day.  _“Simply pleased you’re following the rules.”_

In a low exhale he replied,  _“Mhmm.”_ Skimming his eyes over the papers, missing his Son’s smirk growing at your return to the King’s side adding the napkin across his lap under the notes through the King’s furrowed brow reading softly to himself the last few items on the list his Son had made.

_“Put together another picnic._

_Find patch of wildflowers.”_

His eyes rose to watch your departure to grab another set of toast toad to his plate.

_“Pick said wildflowers._

_Braid wildflowers into y/n’s hair_ …” He glanced up at Legolas who smiled at him before he sighed and continued reading.

 _“Look deep into y/n’s eyes and say_ ,” continuing his reading as you joined his side once again adding the toast to his tray,  _“Would you allow me your hand in marriage, y/n.”_  Before his eyes could rise to meet his Son’s they darted to you at the soft clink of the plate on his tray.

In a cheerful response you answered,  _“Of course.”_ Leaning in before he could even blink to kiss his cheek and smile at him before adding,  _“Now eat your food.”_  Claiming the notes from him before you mumbled,  _“I got you, some fresh jam, where..”_  Turing in a small half circle you rose to your feet and headed for the kitchen as the King’s eyes met his Son’s.

_“Little Leaf..”_

Legolas chuckled taking a step back as his Father shifted his hands to the tray to move it aside before his chase after the chuckling Prince only to freeze with a near growling exhale at your calling out,  _“No! You stay in bed! Eat!”_

Through a thinly veiled glare at Legolas’ beaming smile Thranduil mumbled, _“As soon as I get out of this brace-.”_

You cut him off adding a thin layer of the jam to his toast and said,  _“You will be party planning.”_  Causing his head to turn to you with a slightly stunned expression only holding in place at your quick peck on his lips then held the toast close to his barely parted lips,  _“Picked the berries myself.”_  After a glance at the toast he claimed a small bite while Legolas slipped out holding in his elated chuckles at his successful plan while you said,  _“Like it?”_

As he chewed he nodded, holding a smile at the fresh mixture on the perfectly crispy bread now held between is fingers,  _“Delicious, thank you.”_  Through the meal you discussed the tasks for the following day as well as shared all about yours, but when the plate and glass was empty he moved his tray to the bedside table before you could claim it. In a single motion his hands circled around your legs and back pulling you to his side, moving one of his hands to cup your cheek for a quickly deepening kiss you melted against one another through it.

After regaining your breath you said,  _“This won’t make me let you out of bed.”_

In a breathy chuckling whisper he stroked his nose against yours replying,  _“I have no intention of leaving this bed until I am healed.”_  Tightening his grip around your middle he pulled you back against his chest as he added just barely above a purr,  _“Or letting you out of my sight until then, My Love.”_  Planting his lips on yours for another kiss while moving the fur over his lap to cover yours as well, settling you at his side.


	22. Sneaky

Seated behind the Elf King resting against the high arched root under the largest tree in Lothlorien King Thranduil sat enjoying his most recently gifted novel until the awkward staring of a new servant to the Elf Lord Celeborn continued to draw a prickle over his skin. In a glance up at the servant his brow raised at the Elf pointing his finger motioning behind the King. True this was quite a sight, the King being so relaxed in public, but even more so the Elleth doing a pitiful job holding back her snickers as she wove a layer of multicolored leaves over his hair and crown draping over his back and the root behind him.

After a quick blink the King tapped the servant’s mind to ask in Sindar, “ _Is she smiling?”_

The servant nodded,  _“Yes, Your Majesty.”_

Thranduil’s eyes lowered to his novel,  _“Then leave her be.”_  

Alone and in tears he had met you when their kingdom had fallen, and all these years later he would not fault you or order you to treat him to his new station, no, to you he always wished to be the shop boy who’d so foolishly shadowed and swooned after you in a long line of possible suitors. 

This servant was far too young to have seen your pain, or know anything close to loss at all, but all those around him had spotted the same pain lingering in both of your eyes binding you in that same painful past allowing you this one incredible freedom.

Halfway through is hair a leaf slipped free from over his ear that he collected and passed back over his shoulder to you. In a soft gasp you asked in Ancient Elvish,  _“How long have you known?”_  Puzzling those around you as to what you’d said in the abandoned language.

In a glance over his shoulder he replied in the same tongue,  _“Oh, only about, 425 years now.”_

Your brow rose _, “Oh really?”_  His lips curled into a smirk at your pleased giggle,  _“Well I’ve been doing this for 427.”_

Earning a gasp from him in return as he turned pulling you into his lap for a tight hug while his lips met yours, _“I thought that was our Little One_.” His eyes narrowed as he playfully asked,  _“Who has been forming my flower crowns then?”_

Your eyes closed and you turned your face away dramatically,  _“I will not share the secrets of a fellow master of stealth.”_

In a playful smirk you caught in your peak at him he leaned in kissing you on the cheek,  _“Well then. This calls for a thorough interrogation to gain the names of your accomplices.”_

_“I will never tell.”_

He chuckled as he stood with you in his arms on his path to your gifted room,  _“Then this will be quite an ordeal for you. I will be ruthless for these answers.”_

With a firm hold on his shirt you replied,  _“Do your worst then.”_

After a chuckle he kissed your cheek and purred against your ear,  _“Trust me, I plan to.”_

 


	23. Barter

Hands were locked and the bet was made, all that was left was to carry out the act. All through the halls of Erebor the Princes’ names were shouted by their Uncles in search of the massive deep blue fur lined coat currently seen sprinting through the Throne room towards the approaching Elf King. Their curious well tuned eyes turned to the figure draped under it, a silk and lace silver gown clad Elleth that halted a good ten feet from the Elf King shamelessly taking in her figure draped in the Royal garb as her hair pooled around her face and shoulders in the abrupt stop. A turn of her head towards the nearing shouts caused her to wet her already parted and pink lips from the race before she looked over the line of Elves blocking her exit.

Inhaling steadily she locked her eyes with those of the heated pale silvery blue pair the King held on her trailing her dart to him where her hands landed on his middle nearly drawing a smirk from him at her crouch and slip under his large maroon and silver wrap draped across his arms and back. Before a word could be said the Elves’ heads turned to the entering King Thorin draped in his usual layers, except for his coat he’d had freshly cleaned to show off for this event and the feast on the following night. The usual greetings were traded and heads were bowed once again as the Elf King followed Chief Advisor Balin to his usual gifted rooms, through the throne room and into main path to the Royal Wing where she slipped out unnoticed to the Dwarves around them and continued her path as the King’s mind tapped hers to purr, _“I expect you in my rooms later to discuss the reward for my silence.”_

A soft teasing giggle echoed in his mind in response, _“How are you so certain I won’t claim your wrap as well?”_

In a velvety purr he fired back, _“Oh I intend to see you draped you in it, at least once before it is set aside.”_

_“And who said I’d allow you to set it aside at all?”_

_“Allow me?”_

_“Unless you’ve forgotten our previous bartering in Greenwood to free the Company.”_

_“Trust me, I will never forget those bartering games of yours.”_

_“Good. I promise you’ll be handsomely rewarded.”_

Her final words echoed in his mind as his thought wandered back to those weeks where he was hers entirely without these lands and borders between them. Once finally through the doors of his rooms a smirk eased on his lips as he settled in his mind this would be the end of their parting, one way or another she would be returning with him and there she would stay.


End file.
